Website Name

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RochesterEnvironment.com

Fracking Newslinks - 2011 and before- Rochester, NY area

RochesterEnvironment.com

These NewsLinks represents more than a decade of ferreting out local online
NewsLinks to the issue of Frackingin our area.
Because of length, I've had to continue the rest of Energy Newslinks on
--so go there for all links
back to 1998.

The more recent stories are on the top and oldest at the bottom of
this list. GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL STORY ABOUT THE ROCHESTER, NY AREA
FROM A CREDIBLE SOURCE?
SEND IT TO ME! Looking for something specific. Use
Control + F and search for it on this page.

Although many of these links no longer work, I believe that it is
important to be able to find that these stories have existed for
ferreting out existing or impending environmental problems. The
repercussions of pollution or overuse of a resource often takes a long
time for us to recognize and when we finally do, it is invaluable to be
able to track the history of various issues before they get to a tipping
point and became a crisis.

Also, much that mankind has done to change our environment was
accomplished without any knowledge of what the environment was like
before changing it, but maybe we will be able to heal our environmental
if we archive the news stories so we will be able to unravel the events
that led up to the disaster. Students, scientists, historians, and
citizens alike should benefit from being able to follow the thread of an
issue back through time.

2011

FRACKING: Critics attack Cuomo’s frack plan « City Newspaper
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration has floated a plan to allow
high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the deepest parts of the
Marcellus Shale. And critics are speaking out. The New York Times
reported on the plan last week, crediting anonymous senior
Department of Environmental Conservation officials as sources.
(June 20, 2012) City
Newspaper [more on
Fracking in our area]

Fracking Cracks the Public Consciousness in 2011 - ProPublica It
wasn't just that environmental concerns about the underground
drilling process finally struck a mainstream chord -- after three
years of reporting and
more than 125
stories [1]. For the first time, independent scientific
investigations
linked the drilling technique with water pollution [2], and a
variety of federal and state agencies responded to the growing
apprehension about water contamination with more studies and more
regulation. The most important development -- and perhaps a crucial
turning point -- was in December. In
a landmark finding [3], the Environmental Protection Agency
concluded that hydraulic fracturing was the likely culprit in a
spate of groundwater contamination that had forced residents to stop
using their water in dozens of homes in central Wyoming. The agency
had been investigating since 2008. (December 29, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Fracking in our area]

ANALYSIS-Green groups find success fighting shale oil boom -
AlertNet WASHINGTON, Dec 27 (Reuters) - A resurgent green
movement is launching a multi-pronged counter-attack against the
shale oil and gas boom in the United States that could slow, though
ultimately not stop, development. Building upon their unexpected
success in the battle against the Keystone XL pipeline, a renewed
onslaught from environmentalists is putting the shale industry on
the defensive while adding to costs, limiting expansion and
potentially scuttling major projects. "I think it's the totality of
what's going on all at once, that's the biggest concern," said
Barclay Nicholson, a lawyer for the Washington-based Fulbright &
Jaworski law firm, which has represented companies involved in shale
development. (December 27, 2011)
AlertNet - A Thomson
Reuters Foundation Service - AlertNet [more on
Fracking in our area]

Top
10: The fracking wait | Innovation Trail This was not the year
of hydrofracking. The controversial method for extracting natural
gas from deep shale deposits, by blasting chemicals and water into
rock formations and shaking loose gas, is not currently allowed in
New York. But this was the year of controversy about hydrofracking,
ensured by a moratorium that pitted drillers against
environmentalists, and people who want to lease their land for a
windfall, against people who want to invest in renewables, or
preserve the integrity of their rural lifestyle. (December 24, 2011)
Innovation Trail [more on
Fracking in our area]

Coal's Power: Mining issues are overshadowed by shale gas boom
With attention focused on Marcellus Shale, a reminder that an older
energy resource also can cause plenty of headaches. With so many
energy firms flocking to Pittsburgh and Washington County -- and
with so many established firms opening up their own energy practices
-- because of the Marcellus Shale natural gas land rush, the coal
side of the energy law practice is getting lost in the mix, Mr.
Saxton said. "Everybody has kind of forgotten about some of the
issues from coal," he said. That includes subsidence, drainage and
water contamination issues, mineral and surface rights, and more.
(December 26, 2011) Post-Gazette.com
[more on
Fracking in our area]

PA to
NY: Get ready | 520 – An Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle Good call, Joe Martens. As my colleague Jon Campbell
reported from Albany late Tuesday, state environmental
commissioner Martens has directed a consultant to revisit its study
of the socio-economic impacts of intensified natural-gas drilling in
New York. The consultant, Ecology and Environment Engineering of
suburban Buffalo, had prepared a lengthy study on impacts, but it is
said to have given more emphasis to the positives than the
negatives. As some will recall, Democrat and Chronicle photographer
Shawn Dowd and I spent several days recently in the hills of
northern Pennsylvania doing our own quick assessment of the impacts
of gas drilling, which has been going whole-hog there for several
years. (December 22, 2011)
520 – An
Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
[more on
Fracking in our area]

Groups: One Potential Risk &quot;Missing&quot; from NY Fracking
Draft NEW YORK - The deadline for New Yorkers to comment on a "fracking"
plan is just weeks away, but some say the draft does nothing to
assess the potential risks that hydraulic fracturing may pose to New
York schoolkids. Claire Barnett, founder and executive director of
Healthy Schools New York, says her group has mapped school
facilities that draw their water from private wells along the
Marcellus Shale, the deep-underground rock formation where companies
want to drill for natural gas. She says they found more than 100
facilities in 28 counties where the state has not examined the
potential risks to school children from the chemicals used in
fracking. (December 20, 2011)
Public News Service [more on
Fracking in our area]

Will Community Bans on Hydrofracking Hold Up? (Gotham Gazette, Dec
2011) Communities across the state have passed legislation
banning the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing. The
movement brings up questions of home rule and is being followed
closely by the natural gas industry. Cuomo administration efforts to
open the New York State section of the Marcellus Shale to drilling
will require hydraulic fracturing, which critics say poses a serious
threat to the safety of surface and underground water sources, and
causes other environmental problems. Advocates of the process say it
will boost upstate economies. (December 2011)
http://www.gothamgazette.com/
[more on Energy in our area]

DEC on defensive after EPA links hydrofracking to water pollution |
Innovation Trail New York's Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) is defending its position that hydrofracking can
be done safely after federal officials with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) announced that they've found a possible link
between hydrofracking and groundwater contamination in Wyoming. The
EPA
report singles out hyrofracking as the likely cause of high
concentrations of chemicals like benzene in the water of Pavillion,
Wyo. (December 9, 2011)
Innovation Trail [more on Energy in
our area]

EPA Implicates Fracking In Wyoming Pollution : NPR The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday for the first
time that fracking — a controversial method of improving the
productivity of oil and gas wells — may be to blame for causing
groundwater pollution. The draft finding could have a chilling
effect in states trying to determine how to regulate the process.
The practice is called hydraulic fracturing and involves pumping
pressurized water, sand and chemicals underground to open fissures
and improve the flow of oil or gas to the surface. (December 9,
2011) Environment
: NPR [more on Energy in our area]

EPA Connects 'Fracking' To Water Contamination : NPR For the
first time, a government study has tied contamination in drinking
water to an advanced drilling technique commonly known as
"fracking."
The Environmental Protection Agency released a draft study Thursday
tying the technique, formally called hydraulic fracturing, to high
levels of chemicals found in ground water in the small town of
Pavillion, Wyo. EPA scientists found high levels of benzene, a known
carcinogen, and synthetic glycol and alcohol, commonly found in
hydraulic fracturing fluid. (December 9, 2011)
Environment : NPR
[more on Energy in our area]

Wyoming fracking pollution may fuel NY debate ALBANY — The
Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that chemicals used in
fracking natural gas wells are to blame for groundwater pollution in
Wyoming is likely to fuel opposition to the industry in New York
state. New York regulators haven’t issued permits for gas drilling
with high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale since
they began an extensive environmental review in 2008. A public
comment period on proposed regulations ends Jan. 11, after which
permitting may start if the Department of Environmental Conservation
determines fracking can be done safely. (December 8, 2011)
NY Daily Record [more on
Energy in our area]

Feds Link Water Contamination to Fracking for the First Time -
ProPublica In a first, federal environment officials today
scientifically linked underground water pollution with hydraulic
fracturing, concluding that contaminants found in central Wyoming
were likely caused by the gas drilling process. The findings by the
Environmental Protection Agency come partway through a separate
national study by the agency to determine whether fracking presents
a risk to water resources. (December 8, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Study touting economic benefits of fracking skips over NYS |
Innovation Trail An industry-backed study released Tuesday says
shale-gas extraction will continue to be a boon for the U.S.
economy. The American Natural Gas Alliance commissioned economic
forecasting firm IHS Global Insight to conduct
the study. The key findings: By 2015, shale-gas extraction will
account for 870,000 U.S. jobs and $118 billion in economic impact.
The numbers are big - but IHS Vice President John Larson says they
could have been bigger. (December 7, 2011)
Innovation Trail [more on
Energy in our area]

Canandaigua Town Board passes hydrofracking moratorium -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Canandaigua, N.Y. — The Canandaigua
Town Board unanimously passed a moratorium on natural gas and
petroleum activities — including high volume hydraulic fracturing —
Monday night during a public hearing at the Town Hall. The
moratorium would ban hydrofracking — the controversial natural gas
drilling method — for 18 months. The moratorium would give the town
additional time to update the Town Code to protect the health,
safety and welfare of its residents, said Kevin Reynolds, the
Chairman of the town’s Environmental Conservation Board.
(December 6, 2011) Home -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Energy
in our area]

Researchers announce error in their Pennsylvania fracking study -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Pittsburgh, Pa. — A recently released
study on natural gas drilling and contamination of water wells,
contentious issues as drillers swarm to a lucrative shale formation
beneath Pennsylvania, had an error, according to researchers from
Penn State University. The researchers reported that there is far
less evidence of well contamination by bromides, salty mineral
compounds that can combine with other elements to cause health
problems, than first suggested. The researchers are reviewing the
entire study, released in October, after discovering that results
from an independent water testing lab contained the error.
(November (December 1, 2011) Home -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on
Energy in our area]

Fracking foes blast Cuomo at Manhattan hearing - Canandaigua, NY
- MPNnow Finger Lakes, N.Y. — Representatives of an anti-fracking
coalition that includes celebrities, scientists and
environmentalists blasted Gov. Andrew Cuomo today in Manhattan
at a press event prior to the final public hearing on
hydrofracking before the Department of Environmental
Conservation. Advocates alleged the Cuomo administration has
exaggerated the economic benefits of fracking including the
number of jobs created, while also failing to consider the
negative impacts to agriculture, tourism, and other industries
(November 30, 2011) Home -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on
Energy in our area]

NY state's fracking hearings move to the Catskills - WSJ.com
LOCH SHELDRAKE, N.Y. — Landowners eager to cash in on natural
gas leases implored New York state regulators to swiftly clear
the way for hydraulic fracturing while other residents, farmers
and environmental groups called for a ban on the technology at a
public hearing in the Catskills on Tuesday. Supporters insist
that the practice known as fracking has a long track record of
safety. Opponents fear contamination of water supplies and note
that the state's ban on gas drilling in the New York City and
Syracuse watersheds demonstrates that environmental regulators
consider it risky as well. Fracking stimulates shale gas wells
into production by injecting millions of gallons of
chemical-laced water into the well shaft to fracture rock a mile
underground, freeing trapped gas. (November 29, 2011)
Business News &
Financial News - The Wall Street Journal - Wsj.com [more on
Energy in our area]

Avoca earthquake info: Still deep underground | 520 – An
Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Last
week I wrote a
story about the connection between natural gas production
and storage wells and earthquakes. It seems one can cause the
other. Induced seismicity, it’s called. Very interesting
subject, I thought. And also, as we shall see, a subject
shrouded in secrecy. My story began with an account of a
seemingly classic example of induced seismicity 10 years ago in
Avoca, Steuben County. A company was testing wells that were to
be used to dispose of brine, or salt water, created during
production of caverns to store gas. Earlier tests by another
company had been unsuccessful. The new owner said it could do
better. It requested and got a permit from the state Department
of Environmental Conservation to test the wells. I don’t know
yet what that permit allowed. (November 23, 2011)
520 – An
Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
[more on Energy in our area]

Hydrofracking Debate Spurs Huge Spending by Industry -
NYTimes.com ALBANY — Energy companies have been pouring
millions of dollars into television advertising, lobbying and
campaign contributions as the administration of Gov.
Andrew M. Cuomo enters the final phase of deciding when and
where to allow a controversial form of
natural gas extraction that is opposed by environmental
groups. Companies that drill for natural gas have spent more
than $3.2 million lobbying state government since the beginning
of last year, according to a review of public records. The
broader natural gas industry has been giving hundreds of
thousands of dollars to the campaign accounts of lawmakers and
the governor. And national energy companies are advertising
heavily in an effort to convince the public that the extraction
method, commonly known as hydrofracking, is safe and
economically beneficial. (November 25, 2011)
The New York Times -
Breaking News, World News & Multimedia [more on
Energy in our area]

STATEMENT FROM A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN ON DECISION TO DELAY VOTE ON
PROPOSED FRACKING REGULATIONS NEW YORK – Attorney General
Eric T. Schneiderman today issued the following statement
regarding a decision by the Delaware River Basin Commission
(DRBC) to postpone a scheduled vote on its proposed draft
hydrofracking regulations. “This delay further demonstrates that
the proposed regulations for fracking in the Delaware River
Basin are not ready to see the light of day. Without a full,
fair and open review of the potential risks of fracking in the
Basin, the public will continue to question the federal
government’s ability to protect public health and environment.
(November18, 2011) HOME - OFFICE
OF THE NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL [more on
Energy in our area]

Passion play | 520 – An Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat
and Chronicle When I arrived in the Livingston County
village of Dansville shortly before 11 am Wednesday, people were
already lined up to talk about hydrofracking at New York’s first
public hearing on their plans for regulating that controversial
method of natural-gas drilling. When I left at 7 pm, they were
still going at it. They didn’t finish until deep in the night.
The
experience cemented in my mind what I’d been thinking for a
while: Hydrofracking is the single biggest environmental issue
I’ve seen in my 30 years in New York, and the fiercest and most
personal debate. Nothing else comes close. It unites people from
one end of the state to another in support or opposition. You
known an issue is uncommonly large when people in both Manhattan
and Mendon are equally engaged. (November 17 , 2011)
520 – An
Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
[more on Energy in our area]

Q&A: Inventor of Waterless Fracking on Why His Method Will Be a
Game-Changer | InsideClimate News In an interview, Robert
Lestz discusses everything from the risks of using propane to
why Canadian companies are more willing to try something new.
When Robert Lestz was a research engineer at Chevron in the
1990s, he began searching for a way to extract deeply buried gas
and oil deposits without using the vast quantities of chemically
enhanced water needed for hydraulic fracturing. The industry's
increasing reliance on such large amounts of water seemed
unsustainable, both economically and ecologically. At first,
Lestz experimented with nitrogen and liquid carbon dioxide. But
he wasn't satisfied. (November 17, 2011)
| InsideClimate News
[more on Energy in our area]

NCPR News - Hearing expose deep divide on hydrofracking The
Department of Environmental Conservation held public hearings on
hydrofracking in Binghamton yesterday. The city is the epicenter
of expected development of New York's share of the Marcellus
Shale formation. Officials and residents were invited to make
three-minute statements about hydraulic fracturing. More than
1,000 people turned out to listen. With frequent interruptions
for catcalls and applause, only 63 people got a chance to speak
during the three-hour hearing. (November 18, 2011)
NCPR: North
Country Public Radio [more on Energy
in our area]

Ohio nuclear plant won't open until cracks studied |
CanadianBusiness.com OAK HARBOR, Ohio (AP) — Federal
regulators say they won't allow an Ohio nuclear reactor to
reopen until they find out more about cracks discovered in
concrete at the plant along Lake Erie. The Nuclear Regulatory
Commission says it wants to make sure that the tiny cracks found
on the outside of the reactor containment building don't pose a
safety threat at the Davis-Besse (BEH'-see) plant outside
Toledo. (November 17, 2011)
CanadianBusiness.com
[more on Energy in our area]

Fracking debated at Binghamton hearings - Canandaigua, NY -
MPNnow Binghamton, N.Y. — Speakers at a state hearing on
natural gas drilling Thursday drew conflicting images of the
industry’s impact in nearby Pennsylvania, with drilling
advocates touting jobs and prosperity and opponents describing a
despoiled landscape and ruined water wells. With frequent
interruptions for catcalls and applause, only 63 people got a
chance to weigh in on proposed natural gas-drilling rules during
a three-hour hearing attended by more than 1,000 people Thursday
in Binghamton, the expected epicenter of drilling in New York’s
part of the Marcellus Shale (November 18, 2011)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

Nighttime Meeting on Hydrofracking Draws Hundreds - YNN, Your
News Now Hundreds of people packed into the Dansville middle
school auditorium in rural Livingston County to be among the
first to weigh in on the DEC's revised draft supplemental
Generic Environmental impact statement. The document will govern
how the controversial technique of high-volume hydraulic
fracturing will happen in New York. They came by the hundreds,
armed with signs, press releases, even costumes; all for a for a
chance to have their final opinions on the 3½ year debate over
drilling for natural gas in New York heard. (November 17,
2011) TOP STORIES -
Rochester - YNN, Your News Now [more on
Energy in our area]

Passions electrify Dansville hydrofracking hearing | Democrat
and Chronicle | democratandchronicle.com DANSVILLE — The
first public hearing on New York's controversial rules for
regulating natural gas drilling brought little meeting of the
minds Wednesday, but plenty of passion. More than 1,500 people
descended on an old school auditorium in the Livingston County
village of Dansville for two separate sessions. Anti-drilling
forces rallied outside the school, pro-drilling forces flashed
placards and drove a mobile billboard up and down the village
streets, and advocates of both positions exchanged pointed
comments at the public sessions amid cheers, applause and not a
little booing. A large contingent of Rochesterians made the
one-hour trip to Dansville, as did a sizable group from Steuben
County just south of here. Sixty-four people spoke at the
three-hour daytime session, with about two-thirds of the
speakers voicing opposition to
high-volume horizontal fracturing, the drilling technique
that has revitalized the gas industry in other states. The
industry says there are enormous amounts of gas locked in shale
layers below upstate New York that can be freed up by fracking.
New York state environmental officials have been drafting and
reviewing new rules for hydrofracking for more than three years.
(November 17, 2011)
Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community,
entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester,
New York | democratandchronicle.com [more on
Energy in our area]

NCPR News - Financial expert criticizes economics of shale gas
exploration Drilling companies have been criticizing New
York for delaying permits to drill for gas in the state's
underground shale formations. The Department of Environmental
Conservation says it is still considering regulations, and might
not issue permits until 2013. Deborah Rogers is glad New York is
asking questions before allowing this type of drilling. Rogers
has become a leading critic of the economics of shale gas
exploration. (November 16, 2011)
NCPR: North
Country Public Radio [more on Energy
in our area]

Anti-fracking groups say DRBC ‘shutting out’ public from gas
drilling decisions WEST TRENTON – The Delaware River Basin
Commission’s issuance of “modified” natural gas development
regulations on Tuesday doesn’t sit well with organizations that
want more public input before they are potentially adopted. The
DRBC will vote on the draft regulations on November 21, which if
approved, would lift the current moratorium on gas drilling in
the Delaware River Basin. Delaware Riverkeeper Maya van Rossum
is critical of the DRBC’s latest decision. (November 9,
2011) New
York State News on the Net! [more on
Energy in our area]

EPA Finds Compound Used in Fracking in Wyoming Aquifer -
ProPublica As the country awaits results from a nationwide
safety study on the natural gas drilling process of fracking, a
separate government investigation into contamination in a place
where residents
have long complained [1] that drilling fouled their water
has turned up alarming levels of underground pollution. A pair
of environmental monitoring wells drilled deep into an aquifer
in Pavillion, Wyo., contain high levels of cancer-causing
compounds and at least one chemical commonly used in hydraulic
fracturing, according to
new
water test results [2] released yesterday by the
Environmental Protection Agency. (November 10, 2011)
ProPublica [more
on Energy in our area]

STATEMENT FROM A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN REGARDING THE FEDS’ PROPOSED
FRACKING REGULATIONS NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric T.
Schneiderman issued the following statement in response to revised
draft hydrofracking regulations posted today by the Delaware River
Basin Commission (DRBC), with the approval of its supporting federal
agencies. “By issuing these modified draft regulations, the federal
government continues to ignore New Yorkers’ concerns about the
impact fracking may have on our environment, health and homes.
Though modified, these regulations still lack the benefit of a full
environmental impact study, which is required by law and dictated by
common sense. Without it, the federal government does not have a
complete understanding of the health and safety risks fracking
poses, even as it stands to open up the Delaware River Basin to
thousands of new gas wells. These regulations are both inadequate
and illegal, and I will continue to use the full authority of my
office to require that the federal government meet its clear legal
obligation to fully study the environmental impacts of fracking in
the Basin.” (November 8, 2011)
HOME - OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL [more
on Energy in our area]

11/04/2011: EPA, DOE Partner to Develop Renewable Energy on
Potentially Contaminated Sites / Clean energy project aims to
benefit local economies and create jobs WASHINGTON –The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of
Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are evaluating
the feasibility of developing renewable energy production on
Superfund, brownfields, and former landfill or mining sites. As part
of the RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative, EPA is investing
approximately $1 million for projects across the United States
aiming to revitalize abandoned sites while protecting people’s
health, the environment and providing economic benefits to local
communities, including job creation. “The RE-Powering America's Land
Initiative is not just about using these sites for energy production
but using these sites to re-energize communities,” said Mathy
Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response. “These studies are the first step to
transforming these sites from eyesores today to community assets
tomorrow.” (November 4, 2011)
U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on
Energy in our area]

11/03/2011: EPA Announces Final Study Plan to Assess Hydraulic
Fracturing/Congressionally directed study will evaluate potential
impacts on drinking water WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its final research plan on
hydraulic fracturing. At the request of Congress, EPA is working to
better understand potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on
drinking water resources. Natural gas plays a key role in our
nation’s clean energy future and the Obama Administration is
committed to ensuring that we continue to leverage this vital
resource responsibly. In March 2010, EPA announced its intention to
conduct the study in response to a request from Congress. Since
then, the agency has held a series of public meetings across the
nation to receive input from states, industry, environmental and
public health groups, and individual citizens. In addition, the
study was reviewed by the Science Advisory Board (SAB), an
independent panel of scientists, to ensure the agency conducted the
research using a scientifically sound approach. (November 3,
2011)
U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on
Energy in our area]

NCPR News - Hydrofracking panel needs more time—Cuomo says that's OK
(10/31/11) The state's Environmental Commissioner said this week
that the process to permit hydrofracking on some private lands in
New York State may take longer than expected. DEC Commissioner Joe
Martens even cast doubt on whether permits would be issued in 2012
at all. Governor Cuomo says he's willing to wait, if it leads to a
rational decision making process on what's become a highly emotional
issue. (October 31, 2011)
NCPR: North
Country Public Radio [more on
Energy in our area]

Fracking for Natural Gas Underneath NY Delayed ALBANY, N.Y. -
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has indicated it
will not meet a deadline for an advisory report on fracking. As a
result, the expectation that drilling permits would be issued next
year seems in doubt. Commissioner Joe Martens said a DEC advisory
panel will miss its Tuesday deadline for a report - likely by
months. (October 27, 2011)
Public News Service [more on Energy
in our area]

Canandaigua town officials urge watershed protection from drilling -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Canandaigua, N.Y. — With a room full of
supporters, a resolution that aims to protect the region’s
watersheds from a controversial method of gas drilling commonly
called hydrofracking was passed unanimously by the Town Board Monday
night. Specifically, the resolution asks that the state Legislature,
the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Gov. Andrew
Cuomo apply the same standards to the Canandaigua Lake watershed and
the Finger Lakes watersheds that has been issued for New York City
and Syracuse (Skaneateles Lake). (October 26, 2011)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

EPA Plans to Issue Rules Covering Fracking Wastewater - ProPublica
The EPA took another step toward tightening oversight of hydraulic
fracturing today, announcing it would initiate a process to set
national rules for treating wastewater discharged from gas drilling
operations. Until now, the agency has largely left it to states to
police wastewater discharges. Some have allowed drillers to pump
waste through sewage treatment plants that aren't equipped to remove
many of the contaminants, leading to pollution in some rivers and to
problems at drinking water facilities. (October 20, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Naples village enacts fracking ban - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
Naples, N.Y. — The Village Board this week unanimously passed a
moratorium prohibiting hydrofracking and is urging the Town Board to
follow suit with a temporary ban on the controversial natural gas
drilling method. The local law keeping hydrofracking out of the
village for one year is a crucial step, said Village Board member
Mark Donadio. The gas industry is putting a lot of money and energy
into slick promotion of hydrofracking and lining up leases in
preparation for when the drilling technique is allowed in New York,
he said. (October 22, 2011)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on
Energy in our area]

ENVIRONMENT: Speakers pan fracking review The state's review of
high-volume hydraulic fracturing has some serious flaws, said
speakers at a forum on Sunday. Roger Downs, conservation director
for the state Sierra Club chapter, said parts of the state's draft
environmental impact statement are ambiguous: such as whether brine
hauled up from the wells would be used to melt snow on roads. But
the state also lacks adequate health studies, he said, and doesn't
analyze the potential cumulative impacts of statewide drilling.
(October 19, 2011)
Rochester City Newspaper [more on
Energy in our area}

Pipeline Powerhouse? Kinder Morgan To Buy El Paso : NPR
Texas-based energy company Kinder Morgan plans to buy El Paso Corp.
in a $20.7 billion deal that's expected to create America's largest
natural gas pipeline operator. The deal would more than double the
size of Kinder Morgan's existing pipeline network to 80,000 miles.
The company's pipelines in Texas, the Midwest and the Rocky
Mountains will be joined to El Paso's vast network which stretches
from the Gulf Coast east to New England and west to California. The
deal is a vote of confidence in the economic viability of the
mushrooming exploration of natural gas in this country (October 17,
2011) NPR : National Public Radio :
News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR [more on
Energy in our area]

'Utica Shale' could push gas drilling further north | Innovation
Trail Since Chesapeake Energy announced last month that it saw
great promise in test wells in Ohio, the public has become newly
acquainted with the Utica Shale, the Marcellus Shale's northern
sibling. Monday the
Syracuse Post-Standard reported that Norse Energy, which has
substantial lease holdings in central New York, has applied for the
first permit for a Utica Shale well. The well, in Chenango County
half an hour's drive from Syracuse, is on hold pending the state's
regulatory review. The new target Joe Heath's reaction to the sudden
interest in the Utica Shale is tantamount to an 'I told you so'.
(October 12, 2011) Innovation
Trail [more on Energy in our
area]

Utica Shale is the next fracking frontier | syracuse.com It’s
unlikely that anyone’s going to drill in the town of Tully into the
now-famous Marcellus shale because the rock is too close to the
surface. But that doesn’t mean drilling rigs and hydrofracking will
bypass the town — and a large piece of Central New York. Despite all
the attention given to the Marcellus shale, there’s another, deeper
rock layer in New York that is an intriguing mystery — bigger but
economically an unknown. It’s the Utica shale: a layer of rock
thousands of feet deeper than the Marcellus and less well-studied.
(October 10, 2011) Syracuse NY
Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com [more
on Energy in our area]

NCPR News - Locals fight for control over hydro-fracking New
York's proposed regulations for the drilling technique known as
"hydro-fracking" are currently in the public comment stage. The
Department of Envitronmental Conservation has scheduled four public
hearings will be held in November, three in the Marcellus shale
region and one in New York City. Environmental groups want more time
for comment. And they'd also like public hearings in the Utica Shale
area, which may be the next region slated for drilling.
(October 6, 2011)
NCPR: North Country Public Radio [more on
Energy in our area]

Pa. would let counties set gas drilling fees - Canandaigua, NY -
MPNnow Pittsburgh — Gov. Tom Corbett released a plan for
Pennsylvania's natural gas boom Monday that would allow the state's
counties to impose a fee on drilling to help pay to regulate it and
fix environmental damage in communities where it is happening. The
fee, which could be as high as $160,000 per well over a 10-year
period, is part of broader plan that Corbett said calls for
even-handed laws that recognize the competition beyond the state's
borders for an industry that he said is boosting the economy and
lowering energy bills. The plan also would toughen laws that protect
the state's water sources and help the industry find new outlets for
its product, such as converting school bus fleets and mass transit
systems to natural gas power. (October 4, 2011)
Latest News -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Energy
in our area]

DEC Issues Draft
Regulations for High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing - NYS Dept. of
Environmental Conservation The New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation today issued its draft regulations for
high-volume hydraulic fracturing which are based on the proposed
requirements contained in the agency's revised draft Supplemental
Generic Environmental Impact Statement released earlier this month,
DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. "Public review of the
proposed requirements and regulations governing high-volume
hydraulic fracturing is an important part of the environmental
impact statement process," Martens said. "The comments from the 2009
public comment period proved insightful and helped inform the
revised SGEIS. We look forward to continuing to hear from commentors
in person and in writing over the next few months." (September
28, 2011) New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation [more on
Energy in our area]

Fight Over Fracking Goes Another Round in NY and Nation NEW YORK
- It was a big week for new proposed federal and state regulations
for hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." The federal Environmental
Protection Agency wants all fracking wells fitted with special
equipment to separate oil and gas from byproducts. Those byproducts
have been implicated in air and water quality problems, with links
to serious health conditions for nearby residents. The industry says
the new rules are costly and unnecessary, but Wes Gillingham,
program director of Catskill Mountainkeeper, disagrees. He says the
EPA has a real opportunity to help states such as New York by
setting strict national standards. (September 30, 2011)
Public News Service [more on Energy
in our area]

Spin overtaking facts in Marcellus Shale debate - Sunday, Sept. 25,
2011 | 9:48 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun Some insist Marcellus Shale
natural gas is a huge economic boom for America, while others are
certain it's an environmental catastrophe. Gas drilling from the
Marcellus pollutes groundwater, or it never pollutes groundwater.
It's cleaner than coal or oil, except that it's dirty. It provides a
boost to hard-hit rural economies; but then again, maybe it doesn't.
The one point of agreement? Scientists say advocates on both sides
increasingly spin every shred of research to fit their own views,
and ignore the bigger picture. (September 25, 2011)
Las Vegas Sun [more on
Energy in our area]

Shale Drilling Must Improve to Protect Environment, GDF Says-
Bloomberg The technology used to extract oil and gas from shale
rocks, a process that has revolutionized the U.S. energy industry,
should be improved to protect the environment, the head of Europe’s
largest gas company said. “There are concerns about the
environmental impact,”Gerard Mestrallet, chief executive officer of
GDF
Suez (GSZ) SA, said in an interview at Bloomberg’s headquarters
in New York.“Probably it can be improved and probably it has to be
improved.” (September 22, 2011)
Bloomberg [more on
Energy in our area]

NCPR News - Fracking floods! Assembly Energy Committee Chair
Kevin Cahill says he’s disappointed with Governor Cuomo’s Department
of Environmental Conservation’s decision to limit a public comment
period on a draft final report on hydrofracking to 90 days. The DEC
did extend the comment period from the initial 60 days to the 90
days. But Cahill says many of the key regions in the Marcellus shale
are also areas that were flooded by tropical storm Irene and now the
remnants of hurricane Lee, and several of the counties there have
been declared federal disaster areas. He says people there will be
too busy cleaning up ruined homes and businesses to focus on
attending hearings or submitting opinions on the future of hydro
fracking in New York. (September 9, 2011)
NCPR: North
Country Public Radio [more on
Energy in our area]

WXXI: Groups Ask to Extend Fracking Comment Period from 60 to 180
Days (2011-08-15) Environmental and government reform groups are
calling on Governor Cuomo's Environmental Department to triple the
amount of time for public comments on proposed rules for hydro-fracking
in New York. Groups, including Environmental Advocates and Common
Cause, are asking Cuomo's Department of Environmental Conservation
to extend the public comment period on an environmental review of
the natural gas extraction process known as hydro fracking from 60
to 180 days. Common Causes' Deanna Bitetti says the groups are also
requesting more public hearings in more locations. (August 15,
2011)
WXXI NewsRoom [more on Energy in our
area]

Fracking': Did Energy Department report clear up controversy? - CSMonitor.com According to the US panel, 'fracking' to release
gas deposits in shale can be done in an environmentally responsible
way. The industry hailed the report as refuting shrill critics, but
environmentalists decried 'advocacy-based science' by a panel tilted
toward the industry. Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” to
release vast supplies of natural gas trapped in shale deposits can
be conducted in an environmentally responsible way, a federal energy
panel has concluded, but only if major steps are taken, including
greater transparency by the gas-drilling industry, the close
monitoring of groundwater quality, and the adoption of rigorous
emissions standards. (August 11, 2011)
The Christian Science Monitor -
CSMonitor.com [more on Energy in our
area]

Energy Panel Wants Answers On Gas 'Fracking' : NPR A Department
of Energy panel hopes new recommendations — if implemented — will
restore the public's trust in hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" for
natural gas. In the last few years, fracking has brought new life to
old gas fields around the country. Most of the increasing production
comes from dense layers of shale deep underground. By pumping huge
deep underground amounts of water, along with smaller amounts of
chemicals and sand, drillers can force gas out of shale.
(August 11, 2011)
Environment : NPR [more on Energy in
our area]

N.Y. Enviro Commissioner Expects Little From EPA Fracking Study -
ProPublica When Joe Martens became commissioner of New York's
Department of Environmental Conservation in March, he expected an
unusual challenge. The department oversees everything environmental
in the state, from managing 4.5 million acres of land to regulating
ship ballast water in the Great Lakes. But no contemporary issue is
more dominant — or more controversial — than whether and how to
allow energy companies to drill for natural gas in New York using
hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. (August 9, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Feds Say Major New York Gas Pipeline Poses Safety Risk - ProPublica
A major natural gas pipeline stretching across southern New York may
be at risk of rupturing and poses a safety threat, according to a
recent inspection by federal regulators. The pipeline's owner,
Millennium Pipeline Co., has reduced pressure on the line, lessening
the risk of explosion, but there are concerns that its problems may
extend beyond a leak spotted by workers in January. (August 5,
2011) ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Whistleblowers Say Nuclear Regulatory Commission Watchdog Is Losing
Its Bite - ProPublica When he retired after 26 years as an
investigator with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Office of the
Inspector General, George Mulley thought his final report was one of
his best. Mulley had spent months looking into why a pipe carrying
cooling water at the Byron nuclear plant in Illinois had rusted so
badly that it burst. His report cited lapses by a parade of NRC
inspectors over six years and systemic weaknesses in the way the NRC
monitors corrosion. (July 27, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

ENVIRONMENT: Drilling double-whammy - News Articles - Rochester City
Newspaper The Utica Shale's potential for natural-gas drilling
has received less attention than the Marcellus Shale's, says local
environmentalist Frank Regan, but more of the state lies above the
Utica formation. The Utica Shale formation stretches underneath
28,500 square miles of Western and Central New York as well as the
Southern Tier. Rochester and Monroe County are entirely within the
formation. The State Department of Environmental Conservation is
completing an environmental review of horizontal drilling and
high-volume fracking in deep shale formations: that includes the
Marcellus and the Utica Shales. Unless Norse Energy submits a
site-specific environmental statement, its application will remain
on hold until the state review is completed, DEC spokesperson Emily
DeSantis said in an e-mail. (August 3, 2011)
Rochester NY News,
Events, Restaurants, Music, Entertainment, Nightlife - Rochester
City Newspaper [more on Energy in
our area]

NRC
approves Indian Point cyber-security plan BUCHANAN – The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission has approved the cyber-security plan for the
Indian Point nuclear power plant. The NRC staff found the
cyber-security program provides “high assurances that digital
computer and communications systems and networks … are adequately
protected against cyber-attacks up to and including the design basis
threat.” (August 4, 2011)
New York State
News on the Net! [more on Energy
in our area]

EPA Report: Fracking Contaminated Drinking Water | Environmental
Working Group Washington, D.C.– Contrary to the drilling
industry claim that hydraulic fracturing has never contaminated
groundwater, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded in a 1987
study that “fracking” of a natural gas well in West Virginia
contaminated an underground drinking water source. That
all-but-forgotten report to Congress, uncovered by Environmental
Working Group and Earthjustice, found that fracturing gel from a
shale gas well more than 4,000 feet deep had contaminated well
water. EPA investigators concluded that the contamination was
“illustrative” of a broader problem of pollution associated with
hydraulic fracturing but said the agency’s investigation was
hampered by confidentiality agreements between industry and affected
landowners. Environmental Working Group’s year-long investigation of
the incident found that several abandoned natural gas wells located
near the fractured well in West Virginia could have served as
conduits that allowed the gel, a common ingredient in fracking
fluid, to migrate into the water well. (August 3, 2011)
EWG Home | Environmental Working Group
[more on Energy in our area]

Natural Gas Extraction Creates A Boom For Sand : NPR The rise of
fracking as a method for extracting natural gas from shale rock has
triggered demand for a key ingredient in the process: silica sand.
In parts of the upper Midwest, there's been a rush to mine this
increasingly valuable product. In northeast Iowa, a mine recently
reopened to profit from the new demand. It's owned by the Pattison
family, who have run a grain business for decades. They had been
storing the grain in the old, unused mine tunnels carved into the
cliffs and then loading it onto barges to ship downriver. They
pretty much ignored the sandstone all around them. (Aug 3,
2011) Environment
: NPR [more on Energy in our area]

Worries Over Water As Natural Gas Fracking Expands : NPR Drive
through northern Pennsylvania and you'll see barns, cows, silos and
drilling rigs perched on big, concrete pads. Pennsylvania is at the
center of a natural gas boom. New technology is pushing gas out of
huge shale deposits underground. That's created jobs and wealth, but
it may be damaging drinking water. That's because when you "frack,"
as hydraulic fracturing is called, you pump millions of gallons of
fluids underground. That cracks the shale a mile deep and drives
natural gas up to the surface — gas that otherwise could never be
tapped. (Aug 2, 2011)
Environment : NPR
[more on Energy in our area]

EPA Proposes New Rules on Emissions Released by Fracking -
ProPublica Prohibited from regulating hydraulic fracturing under
the Safe Drinking Water Act, yesterday the EPA took to the air,
proposing federal regulations to reduce smog-forming pollutants
released by the fast-spreading approach to gas drilling. If approved
as currently written, the rules would amount to the first national
standards for fracking of any kind, the EPA said. The agency sets
guidelines when companies inject fluids underground for various
purposes, but in 2005 Congress prohibited the EPA from doing so for
fracking. Regulation has been left to the states, some of which
compel companies to report what chemicals they use and have imposed
tougher well-design standards. (July 29, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

EERE News: DOE and ASHRAE Sign Agreement to Improve Building Energy
Standards The U.S. Department of Energy and the American Society
of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
today announced a new agreement to develop achievable and cost
effective standards, jointly promote educational programs, and
support one another's products and services. The memorandum of
understanding (MOU) underscores the commitment between DOE and
ASHRAE to improve building energy standards that reduce energy costs
and carbon pollution nationwide. These concerted efforts help home
and business owners save money on their annual utility bills,
enhance our nation's energy security by reducing fossil fuel use,
and strengthen America's position as a leader in energy-efficient
building construction. (July 25, 2011)
EERE: News Home Page
[more on Energy in our area]

DEC Policy to
Reduce Cooling Water Intake Fish Kills by 90 Percent - NYS Dept. of
Environmental Conservation Power plants and other industrial
facilities throughout the state will be required to use the Best
Technology Available (BTA) to protect aquatic wildlife when seeking
cooling water intake permits under a new policy finalized by the New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today. A
BTA determination is required in each State Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (SPDES) permit for industrial facilities
operating a cooling water intake system. "Billions of fish are
killed each year when they are caught up in the intake of cooling
water for industrial processes," Commissioner Joe Martens said. "The
policy we are implementing today will reduce fish kills by 90
percent while allowing flexibility for the industry to reach our
goal of protecting aquatic wildlife." Throughout New York State,
more than 16 billion gallons of water are permitted to be withdrawn
each day for the purposes of industrial cooling. As a result, more
than 17 billion fish of all life stages (eggs, larvae, juveniles and
adults) are entrained or impinged annually. The policy outlines
mitigation measures that facilities must implement in order to
minimize impacts to fish and other aquatic organisms from the intake
of billions of gallons of the state's surface waters. Implementation
of this policy through the permitting process is anticipated to
significantly reduce these losses of the state's aquatic resource.
(July 20, 2011)
Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation [more
on Energy in our area]

Possible Indian Point Nuke Shutdown Heightens Economic Fears |
SolveClimate News For more than half a century Indian Point has
been a prime employer and tax-revenue generator in the Westchester
County region of New York | Editor's Note: In this three-part
series, SolveClimate News examines the feasibility of closing the
Indian Point nuclear facility in Buchanan, N.Y. The plant, now up
for relicensing, faces demands for a shutdown by Gov. Andrew Cuomo
and many environmental groups. This is part three. (Read parts
one and
two.) (July 11, 2011) |
SolveClimate News [more on Energy
in our area]

Fracking at Drinking Water Source for 80,000 Pennsylvanians Raises
Alarms | SolveClimate News Documents and interviews reveal that
one Pa. water utility has already leased its watershed to gas
drillers — and many others are being courted | Cynthia Walter, an
ecologist at St. Vincent College outside Pittsburgh, gets a lot of
emails from local wildlife enthusiasts asking about "this bird" or
"that amphibian." But one day last year she got an uncommon request
to inspect the forest cover around the Beaver Run Reservoir via
Google Earth. The 1,300-acre lake is the main source of drinking
water for 80,000 residents in southwestern Pennsylvania. It also
rests atop the enormous Marcellus Shale gas reserve. (July 19,
2011) | SolveClimate News
[more on Energy in our area]

FEDS ACCEPT A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN’S PETITION TO ENFORCE FIRE SAFETY
REGULATIONS AT INDIAN POINT A.G. Seeks Federal Enforcement
Against Indian Point For Dodging Basic Fire Protection Requirements
Feds’ Rare Step Brings Indian Point Closer to Compliance With
Critical Safety Rules
[En Español] NEW YORK – The federal Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) has accepted Attorney General Eric T.
Schneiderman’s petition for fire safety enforcement action at Indian
Point. The Attorney General filed the petition over Indian Point’s
continued failure to comply with federal fire safety regulations
established to keep plants secure in an emergency. As a result, the
NRC will now consider action to compel Indian Point to meet the
critical fire safety requirements – and action that could bolster
fire safety enforcement at nuclear facilities across the country.
(July 12, 2011) HOME - OFFICE OF THE
NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL [more on
Energy in our area]

DEC
chief defends plan for ‘fracking’ Says certain areas require
protection | State Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph
Martens says he doesn’t see a double standard in new natural gas
drilling recommendations that would bar a controversial practice in
parts of the state and not others. His department’s recommendations
for regulating the natural gas drilling technique known as hydraulic
fracturing would bar the practice in the Syracuse and New York City
watersheds, but would open about 85 percent of the gas-rich
Marcellus Shale region to drillers. (July 13, 2011)
The Buffalo News - breaking
local news, sports, business, entertainment, weather and multimedia
[more on Energy in our area]

DEVELOPMENT: Legal test looms for fracking bans - News Articles -
Rochester City Newspaper Zoning and other land-use laws are
valuable tools for communities. They can be used to control growth,
separate incompatible activities, and even squeeze out or prohibit
some uses. That last function may set the stage for one of the next
battles over hydraulic fracturing in New York. Some communities in
the state - the Town of Dryden in Tompkins County, for example -
have passed local laws ban fracking within their limits. Others are
considering them. (July 13, 2011) [more on
Energy in our area]

Analysis: Study warns of leak risks of Canada-U.S. oil pipe
(Reuters) - TransCanada Corp, a company that hopes to build a $7
billion pipeline to take crude from Canada's oil sands to Texas, has
underestimated the number and volume of leaks that could occur on
the duct and hurt water supplies, an analysis released on Monday
said. The independent analysis by a water resources engineer at the
University of Nebraska was released by the environmental group
Friends of the Earth, which has helped mount a fierce campaign
hoping to convince the Obama administration to turn down the
pipeline in a decision expected later this year. (July 11, 2011)
Business & Financial News,
Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com [more on
Energy in our area]

Auburn to ban wastewater from gas drillers - Canandaigua, NY -
MPNnow Auburn, N.Y. — The city of Auburn is banning natural
gas-drilling wastewater from its treatment plant. City councilors
voted Thursday to stop the city’s practice of accepting the
chemical-laced wastewater from hydraulic fracturing of gas wells.
The city has been under pressure from the Cayuga Anti-Fracking
Alliance to enact the ban. Environmental groups say the wastewater
poses a threat to water supplies. They say it contains high
concentrations of salt and cancer-causing petroleum agents that the
city’s treatment plant isn’t equipped to remove. (July 8, 2011)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

What Went Wrong In Fukushima: The Human Factor : NPR Japanese
officials are still trying to understand all the factors that
contributed to the meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power
plant. Officials already have concluded that the plant was not
designed to withstand the 40-foot tsunami that hit it on March 11.
But it is also likely that workers at the plant could have reduced
the severity of the accident if they had made different decisions
during the crisis. (July 5, 2011)
Environment : NPR
[more on Energy in our area]

WXXI: New York State to Allow Hydro Fracking (2011-06-30)
ALBANY, NEW YORK (WXXI) - Governor Andrew Cuomo's Environmental
Commissioner says New York will allow the natural gas extraction
process known as hydraulic fracturing, to proceed with some
limitations. In a statement, Cuomo's Department of Environmental
Conservation says the process known as hydro fracking will
eventually be allowed on private lands in New York, following the
proper environmental review process, and with "rigorous and
effective controls". Fracking will not be permitted in the New York
City and Syracuse watershed areas, or within 500 feet of all other
primary aquifers. It would also be banned on state lands, including
the Adirondack and Catskill parks. (July 1, 2011)
WXXI
NewsRoom [more on Energy in our
area]

DEC Commissioner
Appoints Members to Hydraulic Fracturing Advisory Panel - NYS Dept.
of Environmental Conservation New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens today
announced the members of the High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing
Advisory Panel that will be charged with: developing recommendations
to ensure DEC and other agencies are enabled to properly oversee,
monitor and enforce high-volume hydraulic fracturing activities;
developing recommendations to avoid and mitigate impacts to local
governments and communities; and evaluating the current fee
structure and other revenue streams to fund government oversight and
infrastructure related to high-volume hydraulic fracturing. "I want
to thank the panel members for agreeing to participate," Martens
said. "The guidance they will provide will be invaluable as we move
forward with this process." (July 1, 2011)
New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation [more on
Energy in our area]

New Recommendations On Hydrofracking | Local News - ROCHESTER'S NEWS
LEADER NEWSRADIO 1180 WHAM New York environmental officials have
proposed a ban on drilling for natural gas with hydraulic fracturing
in the New York City and Syracuse watersheds and on all state-owned
lands. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York environmental officials have
proposed a ban on drilling for natural gas with hydraulic fracturing
in the New York City and Syracuse watersheds and on all state-owned
lands. They'd permit it on private land only under "rigorous and
effective controls" codified into state law. The Department of
Environmental Conservation will give its revised recommendations to
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday, the same day an executive order
prohibiting "hydrofracking" expires. The agency released details of
the major revisions Thursday afternoon. (June 30, 2011)
WHAM-AM - ROCHESTER'S
NEWS LEADER NEWSRADIO 1180 WHAM [more on
Energy in our area]

Oil and Gas Drilling Surges Despite Increased Oversight - ProPublica
Energy companies have spent the last couple of years fighting off
added government regulation, saying red tape is slowing development.
But recent data show that the pace of drilling is just short of the
20-year high it reached before the recession. Gas drilling has
dropped off as the price of natural gas has stayed low, but high oil
prices (and the widening price gap between oil and gas) have spurred
enough oil drilling to more than make up the difference. (June 30,
2011) ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

NY may ban gas drilling in watersheds, state land - Canandaigua, NY
- MPNnow Albany, N.Y. — New York environmental officials have
proposed a ban on drilling for natural gas with hydraulic fracturing
in the New York City and Syracuse watersheds and on all state-owned
lands. They’d permit it on private land only under “rigorous and
effective controls” codified into state law. The Department of
Environmental Conservation will give its revised recommendations to
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday, the same day an executive order
prohibiting “hydrofracking” expires. The agency released details of
the major revisions Thursday afternoon. (June 30, 2011)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

City
Explores Water Turbines for Electricity - RochesterHomePage.net
The City of Rochester is working to see if it can harness
electricity from the Johnson Seymour Mill Race. It runs alongside
the Genesee River in downtown and diverts water around the Court
Street Dam in downtown. Now the city wants to see if that raceway
should be fitted with hydrokinetic generators - or underwater
turbines. (June 30, 2011)
RochesterHomePage
[more on Energy in our area]

EERE News: Department of Energy Awards Nearly $7.5 Million to Help
Develop Next Generation Wind Turbines U.S. Energy Secretary
Steven Chu today announced that six projects in four
states—California, Colorado, Florida, and New York—have been
selected to receive nearly $7.5 million over two years to advance
next-generation designs for wind turbine drivetrains. Drivetrains,
which include a turbine's gearbox and generator, are at the heart of
the turbine and are responsible for producing electricity from the
rotation of the blades. The advances in drivetrain technologies and
configurations supported through these research and development
projects will help the United States maintain its position as a
global leader in wind energy technologies, support thousands of
American manufacturing, construction and planning jobs in a key
renewable energy market, and reduce the cost of wind energy in the
future. The projects selected today will also help promote and
accelerate the deployment of advanced turbines for offshore wind
energy in the United States (June 28, 2011)
Department of Energy [more
on Energy in our area]

WXXI: Gas Leases Impact Home Lending (2011-06-21) SYRACUSE, NY
(WXXI) - Gas companies still have to wait to drill in the Marcellus
Shale until the state finishes writing drilling rules. But local
banks say they're already restricted from issuing mortgage or home
equity loans on some properties leased for drilling. That's because
protections for landowners may not always be in the contracts. If
you own a piece of land free and clear, you own rights to use the
surface. You also own what are called the mineral rights - the coal,
the gas, the gravel that might be in the ground. "In theory it goes
up to the heavens and down to the center of the earth," explains
Chris Denton, an attorney. (June 21, 2011)
WXXI NewsRoom [more on Energy in our
area]

Fracking and Water: E.P.A. Zeroes In on 7 Sites - NYTimes.com
The Environmental Protection Agency has chosen seven natural gas
drilling sites where it will conduct case studies to evaluate the
impact of hydraulic fracturing on local drinking water. Hydraulic
fracturing, or fracking, involves freeing of natural gas trapped in
shale rock by injecting copious amounts of water at very high
pressure. It has become increasingly controversial as companies have
turned to drilling horizontally at significant depths. Communities
fear that this form of drilling may cause serious environmental
damage, particularly if the chemicals enter the drinking water
supply. Yet companies, arguing that natural gas is a cleaner energy
source than coal, are eager to tap these bountiful underground
reserves. (June 23, 2011) The
New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia
[more on Energy in our area]

WXXI: Hydro-powered Library One Step Closer to Reality (2011-06-23)
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - Rochester's central library is one step
closer to being powered by an old, 19th century millrace. As the
WXXI Innovation Trail's Zack Seward explains, the city wants to use
river water to help keep the lights on. According to Rochester City
Engineer Jim McIntosh, the easiest way to conceptualize a
hydrokinetic turbine, is to think of a partially submerged windmill.
(June 23, 2011)
WXXI NewsRoom [more on Energy
in our area]

Fracking and Water: E.P.A. Zeroes In on 7 Sites - NYTimes.com
The Environmental Protection Agency has chosen seven natural gas
drilling sites where it will conduct case studies to evaluate the
impact of hydraulic fracturing on local drinking water. Hydraulic
fracturing, or fracking, involves freeing of natural gas trapped in
shale rock by injecting copious amounts of water at very high
pressure. It has become increasingly controversial as companies have
turned to drilling horizontally at significant depths. Communities
fear that this form of drilling may cause serious environmental
damage, particularly if the chemicals enter the drinking water
supply. Yet companies, arguing that natural gas is a cleaner energy
source than coal, are eager to tap these bountiful underground
reserves. (June 23, 2011)
Power NY Act Promises Thousands of Jobs and Help for Homeowners
[more on Energy in our area]

Power NY Act Promises Thousands of Jobs and Help for Homeowners
NEW YORK - Lawmakers have passed a measure that promises to help New
York residents improve their homes' energy efficiency while also
creating thousands of new construction jobs. The
"Power NY Act of 2011" will allow tens of thousands of New
Yorkers to access funding for energy efficiency improvements which
will save money on their utility bills, says Emmaia Gelman,
green-economies strategist at the Center for Working Families Those
upgrades, she says, also will put thousands of New Yorkers to work
in construction jobs that can't be outsourced. (June 24, 2011)
[more on Energy in our area]

EERE News: Department of Energy Commits Support for Landmark Rooftop
Solar Project Largest Rooftop Project in U.S. History Will
Enable Wide Distribution of Solar Power Across Country While
Creating at Least a Thousand Jobs June 22, 2011 U.S. Energy
Secretary Steven Chu today announced the offer of a conditional
commitment to provide a partial guarantee for a $1.4 billion loan to
support Project Amp. This project will support the installation of
solar panels on industrial buildings across the country, with the
electricity generated from those panels contributing directly to the
electrical grid, as opposed to powering the buildings where they are
installed. Supported by funding from the Recovery Act, the solar
generation project includes the installation of approximately 733
megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, which is nearly
equal to the total amount of PV installed in the U.S. in 2010. The
project sponsor estimates Project Amp will create at least one
thousand jobs over a four year period. (June 22, 2011)
Department of Energy - Homepage
[more on Energy in our area]

WXXI: Gas Leases Impact Home Lending (2011-06-21) SYRACUSE, NY
(WXXI) - Gas companies still have to wait to drill in the Marcellus
Shale until the state finishes writing drilling rules. But local
banks say they're already restricted from issuing mortgage or home
equity loans on some properties leased for drilling. That's because
protections for landowners may not always be in the contracts. (June
21, 2011)
WXXI NewsRoom [more on Energy in our
area]

Critics Find Gaps in State Laws to Disclose Hydrofracking Chemicals
- ProPublica Over the past year, five states have begun
requiring energy companies to disclose some of the chemicals they
pump into the ground to extract oil and gas using the process of
hydraulic fracturing. While state regulators and the drilling
industry say the rules should help resolve concerns about the safety
of drilling, critics and some toxicologists say the requirements
fall short of what’s needed to fully understand the risks to public
health and the environment. (June 20, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Ohio taking in flood of Pennsylvania brine for disposal | The
Columbus Dispatch Much more toxic wastewater entering state,
despite fee hike | Millions of barrels of salty, toxic wastewater
from natural-gas wells in Pennsylvania are coming into Ohio despite
efforts to keep it at bay. In June 2010, Ohio quadrupled the fees
that out-of-state haulers must pay to dump brine into 170 disposal
wells. Ohio officials thought that raising the fees to 20 cents per
barrel from 5 cents would help keep the brine in Pennsylvania, where
drilling has exploded since the discovery of huge gas deposits deep
in Marcellus shale. Ohio wants to keep its injection wells open for
Ohio brine, which also might explode in volume if the state's own
shale begins to give up natural gas. (June 19, 2011)
Central
Ohio News, Sports, Arts & Classifieds | The Columbus Dispatch
[more on Energy in our area]

Ohio Senate passes bill allowing oil, gas drilling in state-owned
lands - Toledo Blade COLUMBUS — A bill allowing drilling for oil
and natural gas in parks, forests, and other state-owned lands
passed the Ohio Senate Wednesday after the chamber again rejected an
attempt to place Lake Erie off limits. In separate action, the
Senate voted 25-7 to forward to Gov. John Kasich a bill that would
allow the carrying of concealed handguns into bars, night clubs, and
alcohol-serving restaurants. The drilling bill, however, must return
to the House for approval of changes made in the upper chamber.
“There’s close to half a billion dollars — half a billion dollars —
in unmet capital needs in our state parks…,’’ said Sen. Keith Faber
(R., Celina). “The reality is that around almost all of the state
parks where oil and gas drilling is contemplated, there is already
drilling, and some of that drilling is taking the gas that is under
our state parks. (June 15, 2011)
Home - Toledo Blade [more
on Energy in our area]

WXXI: Hydrofracking Debate Takes On Dumped "Drill Cuttings"
(2011-06-14) ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - The latest showdown over
hydrofracking in New York's Southern Tier is over the issue of
so-called "drill cuttings." As the WXXI Innovation Trail's Zack
Seward reports, some say they're dangerously radioactive, while some
say they're safe. Drill cuttings are basically the piles of earthen
waste that gas drillers remove as they dig out new wells. Ultimately
the cuttings end up in landfills, and Steuben County's publicly
operated landfill is on track to be one of them. (June 14,
2011)
WXXI NewsRoom [more on Energy in our
area]

US Dept. of Energy to hold meeting on frackingPITTSBURGH — A
U.S. Department of Energy hearing on fracking in Pennsylvania is
expected to draw numerous supporters and protesters of the practice
Monday night. Members of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board will
be at the meeting on the campus of Washington & Jefferson College in
Washington, Pa., from 7-9 p.m. to garner detail, reaction and
comments about hydraulic fracking, or fracking, which breaks up the
shale and frees natural gas. (June 13 2011)
NY Daily Record [more on
Energy in our area]

Drilling group offers paid trip to energy hearing SCRANTON, Pa.
— A natural gas industry group is offering an all-expenses paid trip
to pro-drilling landowners in the Northeast’s Marcellus Shale to get
them to attend a public meeting by the U.S. Department of Energy on
the issue of hydraulic fracturing, a newspaper reported Friday. A
consultant for Energy In Depth, a public-relations group formed in
2009 to promote natural gas drilling and respond to criticism of the
gas industry, emailed supporters in northeastern Pennsylvania and
central New York, offering transportation, meals and lodging to the
hearing outside Pittsburgh, according to The Times-Tribune of
Scranton. (June 10, 2011)
NY Daily Record [more on Energy in
our area]

NY to Clinton: Stop Canadian Tar Sands Pipeline ALBANY, N.Y. -
Concerned citizens' groups in New York have joined with others in
the Northeast to call on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to
reject construction of a pipeline carrying tar sands from Canada.
The thick crude oil, originating in distant Alberta, was of little
use until oil prices rose and new technology was found to extract
and refine it. The planned pipeline, known as Keystone X-L, would
cross the border in Montana and run to Texas refineries. The fuels,
considered "dirty" by critics, would ultimately impact New York,
according to Joe Mendelson, director of global-warming policy at the
National Wildlife Federation. (June8, 2011)
Public News Service [more on Energy
in our area]

Fracking disclosure proposal gets strong investor support, says
comptroller NEW YORK - State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s
shareholder resolution seeking greater disclosure of the risks
associated with hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’) garnered support
from investors at Carrizo Oil’s annual meeting last week. The
resolution received 43.7 percent of the vote, according to a company
filing released today. DiNapoli filed the resolution as trustee of
the $140.6 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund),
which owns 324,994 Carrizo shares worth an estimated $11.1 million.
(June 7, 2011) New York
State News on the Net! [more on Energy
in our area]

Explainer: When could hydrofracking actually begin? | Innovation
Trail The saga of New York’s complicated relationship with
natural gas drilling continues this week in Albany, as the Assembly
takes steps to put off drilling for another year. The key issue in
the Marcellus Shale debate is the controversial drilling technique
called horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which pumps
pressurized water and chemicals into the ground. (June 6, 2011)
Innovation Trail [more on
Energy in our area]

NY Assembly eyes ’hydrofracking’ moratorium - Canandaigua, NY -
MPNnow ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York Assembly’s Democratic
leadership is pressing for a one-year moratorium on so-called
“hydrofracking” for natural gas to further study the environmental
impact of the deep drilling, especially on drinking water. Assembly
Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, says his chamber will
vote to postpone issuing state permits for new hydraulic fracturing
until June 1, 2012. (May 7, 2011)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

Cuomo announces millions in clean energy investments | Innovation
Trail Governor Andrew Cuomo announced millions of dollars in
state investments to clean energy today. The New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Public Service
Commission (PSC) have awarded $191 million to help power 17
renewable energy projects across the state, including: Four wind
farms Four hydroelectric projects Seven landfill gas-to-electricity
sites Two anaerobic digesters, located at dairy farms (June 2, 2011)
Innovation Trail
[more on Energy in our area]

A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN TO SUE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TODAY FOR FAILURE TO
STUDY “FRACKING” Demand For Fracking Study In Delaware River
Basin Ignored – Even Though Drilling Would Affect NY Watershed And
Portions Of 8 New York Counties Feds Abandon Legally Required
Responsibility To Assess Environmental & Public Health Impacts Of
Natural Gas Drilling Schneiderman: Feds Have An Obligation To
Protect Public Health & Safety - We Will Force Them To Do So
[En Español] NEW YORK - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman
announced he will file a lawsuit today against the federal
government for its failure to commit to a full environmental review
of proposed regulations that would allow natural gas drilling –
including the potentially harmful "fracking" technique – in the
Delaware River Basin. Last month, the Attorney General notified the
federal government that if it did not commit to conducting an
environmental review before the regulations authorizing gas drilling
are finalized, he would take legal action to compel such a study.
“Before any decisions on drilling are made, it is our responsibility
to follow the facts and understand the public health and safety
effects posed by potential natural gas development,” Attorney
General Schneiderman said. “The federal government has an obligation
to undertake the necessary studies, and as I made clear last month,
this office will compel it to do so. The welfare of those living
near the Delaware River Basin, as well as the millions of New
Yorkers who rely on its pure drinking water each day, will not be
ignored.” (May 31, 2011) HOME -
OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL [more on
Energy in our area]

NY attorney general suing feds over gas drilling - Canandaigua, NY -
MPNnow ALBANY, N.Y. — The federal government should conduct a
full environmental review that weighs potential damage to the
welfare of people in the Delaware River watershed and the drinking
water quality for millions of New Yorkers before allowing natural
gas drilling in the region, the state’s attorney general said in a
federal lawsuit filed Tuesday. Eric Schneiderman said in the lawsuit
filed in Brooklyn that the Delaware River Basin Commission, with
approval of federal agencies, proposed regulations without doing a
full review as required by the National Environmental Policy Act.
(June 1, 2011) Home - Canandaigua,
NY - MPNnow [more on Energy in our
area]

WXXI: Underground Gas Storage? Finger Lakes Business Owners Say No
(2011-05-19) A group of Finger Lakes business owners is rallying
opposition to a proposed energy project near the south end of Seneca
Lake. As the WXXI Innovation Trail's Zack Seward reports, the
project calls for storing liquefied petroleum gas in underground
salt caverns. As part of the group known as Gas Free Seneca, Lou
Damiani has been circulating petitions against the proposed storage
facility. (May 19, 2011)
WXXI
NewsRoom [more on Energy in our
area]

Forced Pooling: When Landowners Can’t Say No to Drilling -
ProPublica As the shale gas boom sweeps across the United
States, drillers are turning to a controversial legal tool called
forced pooling to gain access to minerals beneath private
property--in many cases, without the landowners' permission. Forced
pooling is common in many established oil and gas states, but its
use has grown more contentious as concerns rise about drilling
safety and homeowners in areas with little drilling history struggle
to understand the obscurities of mineral laws. (May 19, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

05/17/2011: EPA Releases More Electric Utility Plans to Improve
Safety of Coal Ash Impoundments WASHINGTON – The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing action plans
developed by 20 electric utility facilities with 70 coal ash
impoundments, describing the measures the facilities are taking to
make their impoundments safer. The action plans are a response to
EPA’s final assessment reports on the structural integrity of these
impoundments that the agency made public last May. Coal ash was
brought prominently to national attention in 2008 when an
impoundment holding disposed coal ash waste generated by the
Tennessee Valley Authority failed, creating a massive spill in
Kingston, Tennessee, that released more than 5 million cubic yards
of coal ash to the surrounding area and is regarded as one of the
worst environmental disasters of its kind in history. Shortly
afterwards, EPA began overseeing the cleanup, as well as
investigating the structural integrity of impoundments where coal
ash waste is stored. (May 18, 2011)
Energy Rochester |Alternative & Traditional Energy |
RochesterEnvironment.com [more on Energy
in our area]

Gas Drilling Companies Hold Data Needed by Researchers to Assess
Risk to Water Quality - ProPublica For years the natural gas
drilling industry has decried the lack of data that could prove—or
disprove—that drilling can cause drinking water contamination. Only
baseline data, they said, could show without a doubt that water was
clean before drilling began. The absence of baseline data was one of
the most serious criticisms leveled at a group of Duke researchers
last week when they published the first peer-reviewed study linking
drilling to methane contamination in water supplies. (May 17,
2011) ProPublica
[more on Energy in our area]

Sen. Maziarz announces the passage of energy legislation - Gates, NY
- Gates-Chili Post Gates, N.Y. — Sen. George Maziarz (R-C,
Newfane) announced that two key bills relating to New York’s energy
future were approved last week in the State Senate: legislation
establishing a process for the siting of electric generation
facilities (S.191) and legislation to permit remote net metering
(S.3407-A). As Chairman of the Energy and Telecommunications
Committee, Sen. Maziarz sponsored both bills and helped advance them
through his committee. Article X of the Public Service Law, which
governs the siting of new electricity generation facilities in the
state, expired in 2003. Since then the development of major new
facilities in New York has been at a standstill, despite a growing
demand. (May 16, 2011)
Homepage - Gates, NY - Gates-Chili Post [more on
Energy in our area]

Obama Shifts to Speed Oil and Gas Drilling in U.S. - NYTimes.com
WASHINGTON — President
Obama, facing voter anger over high gasoline prices and
complaints from Republicans and business leaders that his policies
are restricting the development of domestic energy resources,
announced on Saturday that he was taking several steps to speed oil and
gas drilling on public lands and waters. It was at least a partial
concession to his critics, who say he has shackled domestic energy
development at a time when consumers are paying near-record prices
at the gas pump. The Republican-led House passed three bills in the
last 10 days that would significantly expand and accelerate oil
development in the United States, saying the administration was
driving up gas prices and preventing job creation with anti-drilling
policies. (May 14, 2011)
The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia
[more on Energy in our area]

State
Senate Energy Committee hears takes testimony on Indian Point
STONY POINT – The State Senate Energy Committee Thursday heard
testimony from public officials, special interest group officials
and scientists about the safety of the Indian Point nuclear power
plant in Buchanan. The session, in Stony Point, was right across the
Hudson River from the plant, which has gained heightened attention
since the Japanese nuclear power plant collapses following the March
earthquake and tsunami. A scientist from the Lamont-Dougherty
Geological Observatory, which monitors earthquake activity, said he
doubts there would ever be a quake anywhere near the magnitude of
that which hit Japan. (May 13, 2011)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

NRC Waives Enforcement of Fire Rules at Nuclear Plants - ProPublica
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is routinely waiving fire rule
violations at nearly half the nation's 104 commercial reactors, even
though fire presents one of the chief hazards at nuclear plants. The
policy, the result of a series of little-noticed decisions in recent
years, is meant to encourage nuclear companies to remedy
longstanding fire safety problems. But critics say it is leaving
decades-old fire hazards in place as the NRC fails to enforce its
own rules. (May 11, 2011)
ProPublica [more on Energy in our
area]

Remote
net metering passes both houses ALBANY - The Alliance for Clean
Energy New York (ACE NY) announced today that the State Senate and
Assembly have passed legislation amending New York's net metering
laws, which were expanded in 2008 to give non-residential customers
the ability to net meter renewable power generating systems of up to
two megawatts in size. The amendment (S.3407A/A.6270B), sponsored by
Senator George Maziarz and Assemblyman Marcus Crespo, lets farm and
non-residential customers more efficiently utilize renewable energy
resources by allowing the use of remote net-metering when their
generating equipment is not immediately adjacent to the location of
their energy use. (May 10, 2011)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

Study finds gas in drinking water near drilling WASHINGTON, D.C.
— New research is providing some of the first scientific evidence
that a controversial gas drilling technique can contaminate drinking
water. Higher concentrations of methane gas were found in water from
wells near drilling sites in Pennsylvania. But there was no trace of
the chemicals used in the process. (May 9, 2011)
NY Daily Record [more on
Energy in this area]

NYPA
Celebrates Earth Week With The Release Of Its Sustainability Annual
Report WHITE PLAINS— In celebration of Earth Week, New York
Power Authority (NYPA) President and Chief Executive Officer Richard
M. Kessel today announced the issuance of NYPA’s Sustainability
Annual Report to formalize the implementation of future
energy-saving and environmental initiatives and review the goals set
out in the Power Authority’s Sustainability Action Plan, which was
released in January 2010. “The Power Authority has redoubled its
sustainability efforts and intends to lead by example,” Kessel said.
“This is NYPA’s commitment to demonstrating to the public that we
will provide future generations with an improved environment.
Governor Cuomo has stressed this priority and we hope to make
additional strides through 2011 in maximizing the efficient use of
energy supplies and other resources, building on our reputation as
one of the cleanest utilities in the country.” (April 29, 2011)
New York Power Authority
[more on Energy in our area]

Nuclear Plants' Emergency-Power Rules Questioned - WSJ.com The
top U.S. nuclear regulator questioned Thursday whether the nation's
nuclear plants were prepared to deal with losses of power that last
several hours or even days, a vital safety issue as constant access
to power is needed to run cooling systems and prevent core
meltdowns. Regulations currently require nuclear power plants to
have as few as four hours of emergency power. NRC Chairman Gregory
Jaczko said during a commission meeting that this might not be
enough, because it could take much longer to reconnect to the main
power supply or a backup diesel generator after a plant suffers
major damage in a catastrophic event. (April 29, 2011)
Business News & Financial
News - The Wall Street Journal - Wsj.com [more on
Energy in our area]

Gov’t watchdog group compiles fracking petition ALBANY — A
government watchdog group says it will deliver to Gov. Andrew
Cuomo’s offices in Albany and Manhattan a petition signed by
thousands of New Yorkers urging protection of drinking water from
the natural gas drilling procedure called hydraulic fracturing.
(April 26, 2011) NY Daily Record
[more on Energy in our area]

SCHNEIDERMAN TO FEDS: COMMIT TO STUDY SAFETY IMPACTS OF “FRACKING”
IN DELAWARE RIVER BASIN IN 30 DAYS OR I’LL SUE Federal
Commission Considering Allowing Natural Gas Drilling in Delaware
River Basin Without Assessing Environmental or Health Impacts NYC
Watershed and Portions of 8 New York Counties Would be Affected
Schneiderman: We Will Ensure Potential Dangers Are Understood Before
Doors are Opened to Drilling in New York
[En Español] NEW YORK - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman
today pledged to sue the federal government if it doesn’t commit in
30 days to conducting a full environmental review of proposed
regulations that would allow natural gas drilling – including the
potentially harmful "fracking" technique – in the Delaware River
Basin. The Basin includes the New York City watershed and portions
of Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Schoharie, Greene, Ulster, Orange and
Sullivan Counties, and provides approximately 50 percent of the
drinking water used by over nine million New York residents and
visitors every day. (April 18, 2011)
HOME - OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL [more
on Energy in our area]

‘Spillionaires’: Profiteering and Mismanagement in the Wake of the
BP Oil Spill - ProPublica The oil spill that was once expected
to bring economic ruin to the Gulf Coast appears to have delivered
something entirely different: a gusher of money. Some people
profiteered from the spill by charging BP outrageous rates for
cleanup. Others profited from BP claims money, handed out in
arbitrary ways. So many people cashed in that they earned nicknames
-- "spillionaires" or "BP rich." Meanwhile, others hurt by the spill
ended up getting comparatively little. In the end, BP's attempt to
make things right -- spending more than $16 billion so far, mostly
on claims of damage and cleanup -- created new divisions and even
new wrongs. Because the federal government ceded control over spill
cleanup spending to BP, it's impossible to know for certain what
that money accomplished, or what exactly was done. (April 13,
2011) ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Environmental groups urge DRBC to extend gas drilling moratorium
WEST TRENTON NJ – Environmental groups from four states urged the
Delaware River Basin Commission on Thursday to not move forward with
gas drilling in the river basin until thorough studies have been
completed and can prove drilling is safe. The groups expressed
“outrage” over the DRBC’s proposal to allow hydrofracking to begin
in the Delaware watershed, putting an end to the existing moratorium
on any watershed drilling. They delivered over 30,000 public
comments from residents of the four states – New York, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey and Delaware – to the DRBC urging a continued moratorium
on drilling. (April 15, 2011)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our
area]

More Reasons to Question Whether Gas is Cleaner than Coal
- ProPublica One of the main advantages of natural gas is that
it is supposed to be far cleaner than oil or coal. Right now
Congress is even considering a T. Boone Pickens-inspired bill aimed
at converting the nation's truck fleet to run on natural gas. If
it's passed, it will be in large part on the assumption that such a
move will help the nation reduce climate-changing greenhouse gases.
But evidence continues to mount that natural gas is not as clean as
we like to think. (April 12, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

U.S. Nuclear-Disaster Preparedness Hobbled by Uncertain Chain of
Command - ProPublica If the United States faced a nuclear
disaster, local governments would automatically take charge,
followed by federal authorities if the crisis grew too big for local
responders to handle. But this system has a flaw: The nation's
emergency plans [1] don't spell out when or how the transfer of
authority would be handled, even though small delays could put
thousands of lives at risk. The timing of federal involvement is
deliberately kept ambiguous in order to "forestall a conflict about
who's in charge," said William Banks, director of the Institute for
National Security and Counterterrorism and a Syracuse University law
professor. (April 8, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Ginna fire risk? Never mind. | 520 - An Environmental Blog |
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle A news release arrived Thursday
from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission announcing the discovery
of a fire-protection flaw at the Ginna nuclear power plant in Wayne
County. Given heightened interest in reactor safety these days in
light of the on-going disaster in Japan, I thought it was worth
inquiring about. The flaw that was reported was, in and of itself,
minor - lack of a proper fire barrier between the basement of the
plant’s auxiliary building and an adjacent pump room. After
checking, I was told the missing barrier were seals around two pipes
that pass through the wall separating the two areas. (April 8, 2011)
520 - An
Environmental Blog | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
[more on Energy in our area]

PA’s New Jobs Czar Fought Enviro Regs for Years - ProPublica For
years C. Alan Walker, a coal industry mogul and wealthy donor to
Pennsylvania's Republican Party, clashed with environmental
officials who tried to regulate his companies. He described them as
"vindictive," "out of control" and "the most dangerous thing"
affecting the country's welfare. In 1981 Walker even argued that the
state should let someone from industry influence how environmental
regulations were enforced. (April 11, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

NY Lawmakers Urged to Proceed with “Extreme Caution” on Gas Drilling
NEW YORK - Hundreds of New Yorkers head to Albany today to warn
Governor Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers to proceed with extreme
caution on natural gas drilling in New York. Dozens of environmental
and health groups are asking them to put the longer-term issues of
air and water quality ahead of any short-term gas profits. Roger
Downs, conservation program manager with the Sierra Club Atlantic
Chapter, says states such as Pennsylvania are now dealing with toxic
water problems because they did not have safeguards in place to
regulate the hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" process used in
natural gas wells to set free gas trapped in rock formations deep
underground. (April 11, 2011)
Public News Service [more on Energy
in our area]

Faculty Members
Receive $100,000 Grant to Develop Natural Gas Engine for Hybrid
Vehicles - RIT News New model would have the potential to reduce
carbon dioxide emissions by 5 million tons | Natural gas is
considered a viable alternative to gasoline or diesel fuel. Yet one
of the challenges, according to a team of researchers at Rochester
Institute of Technology, is the lack of range for the vehicle using
natural gas. To address this challenge, the team is developing a
prototype for a new homogeneous charge compression engine for hybrid
electric vehicles through a grant awarded by the California Energy
Commission. (March 21, 2011)
RIT News [more on
Energy in our area]

Hundreds from Finger Lakes to attend anti-fracking rally in
Albany - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Finger Lakes, N.Y. —
More than 300 people and representatives of more than 40
organizations statewide will rally Monday in Albany against
hydrofracking. The rally on the Capitol lawn will call on state
leaders “to safeguard public health and the environment from dirty
gas drilling called hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking,’ a release
said. The groups will also launch the "New York Water Rangers"
campaign to combat potential dangers from the controversial natural
gas drilling method being considered for New York. (April 6, 2011)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

Radioactive Water Leaking From Crippled Japan Plant
: NPR Japan's prime minister surveyed the damage in a town
gutted by a massive tsunami, as officials said Saturday that highly
radioactive water was leaking into the sea from the nuclear plant
stricken by the disaster. The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex has
been spewing radioactivity since March 11, when a magnitude-9.0
earthquake and ensuing wave knocked out power, disabling cooling
systems and allowing radiation to seep out of the overheating
reactors. (April 2, 2011)
Environment : NPR
[more on Energy in our area]

Pennsylvania Limits Authority of Oil and Gas Inspectors
- ProPublica Oil and gas inspectors policing Marcellus Shale
development in Pennsylvania will no longer be able to issue
violations to the drilling companies they regulate without first
getting the approval of top officials. That’s according to a
directive laid out in a series of emails received by the Department
of Environmental Protection staff last week and leaked to ProPublica.
The
emails [1]
say [2] the new edict applies only to enforcement actions
related to Marcellus Shale drilling and that failure to seek prior
approval “will not be acceptable.” (March 39, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

A.G.
files petition forcing Indian Point to comply with federal fire
safety regulations NEW YORK – Amid growing concerns that Indian
Point has failed to meet federal safety requirements, Attorney
General Eric Schneiderman filed a petition with the federal Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Monday, urging it to take enforcement action
against the plant for what he says is a failure to comply with fire
safety regulations. Following his lawsuit last month pressing the
NRC to study the safety impact of storing spent nuclear fuel on
site, today’s action is the latest in a series the Attorney General
has taken to promote comprehensive, transparent and vigilant reviews
of the Buchanan plant before decisions are made on whether to extend
its operating license for another 20 years. In a petition filed
today with the NRC, Schneiderman wrote that compliance with fire
safety requirements was necessary to ensure that the facility would
be able to safely shut down during and after an emergency. Indian
Point is currently in violation of established fire safety
regulations and in seeking more than 100 exemptions from those
regulations, undermines the efforts to secure the reactors lying
within a 50-mile radius of where more than 20 million people live,
work and travel. (March 29, 2011) Energy
Rochester |Alternative & Traditional Energy |
RochesterEnvironment.com [more on Energy
in our area]

Federal, state lawmakers differ on whether Indian Point is
safe BUCHANAN – House Members Eliot Engel (D-
Westchester/Rockland) and Nita Lowey (D- Westchester) called on the
House energy and Commerce Committee to hold hearings on the
licensing of nuclear facilities located within an evacuation area
containing a high population. The Indian Point nuclear power plant
is in Buchanan and since the Japanese earthquake and tsunami wreaked
havoc on nuclear facilities in that country, there has been much
concern about the safety of Indian Point since it is close to the
City of New York and located near a fault area. (March 24,
2011) New York State News
on the Net! [more on Energy in our
area]

An Update on Indian Point | Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Governor
Cuomo today announced important developments regarding safety issues
at the Indian Point nuclear facility. In light of the recent crisis
at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, earlier today
the Governor sent top members of his administration -- including
Lieutenant Governor Duffy -- to meet with senior staff at the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) about Indian Point. (March 22,
2011)
Newsroom | Governor Andrew M. Cuomo [more on
Energy in our area]

Governor Cuomo Announces Nuclear Regulatory Commission has Agreed to
Make Indian Point the Top Priority in Nuclear Plant Seismic Risk
Review | Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today
announced that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has
pledged to make Indian Point its first and top priority in its
review of seismic risk at 27 nuclear plants throughout the country.
At the request of the Cuomo Administration, the NRC has agreed to a
cooperative review of Indian Point as a joint effort between the NRC
and New York State. As a result of the meeting today at NRC
headquarters in Maryland between Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy,
Director of State Operations Howard Glaser, and top NRC officials,
the NRC has also agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding that
will: Share federal data regarding seismic risk specific to Indian
Point with New York technical experts Include New York experts as
part of the NRC on-site inspection team that will evaluate Indian
Point with regard to seismic risk In addition, NRC Chair Greg Jaczko
has agreed to conduct a personal site inspection of Indian Point
with New York officials. (March 22, 2011)
Newsroom |
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo [more on Energy
in our area]

Ginna Officials Monitoring Nuclear Situation in Japan
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - As the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant continues to unfold, a spokeswoman for
Rochester's local nuclear plant says they are closely monitoring
developments in Japan. But Ginna Nuclear Power Plant near the town
of Ontario is not without minor problems of its own. The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently notified Ginna that it's one of
only 15 nuclear units in the country not performing "at the highest
level." (March 16, 2011)
WXXI
NewsRoom [more on Energy in
our area]

Japan Crisis Sparks Nuclear Waste Questions In U.S.
: NPR The nuclear crisis in Japan is prompting scrutiny of
nuclear power plants in the U.S., leading to a decades-old question:
What to do with all the spent nuclear fuel produced here? The law
says the federal government is supposed to take nuclear waste off
the hands of plant operators. The Department of Energy had planned
to store it underground in Nevada at Yucca Mountain. But President
Obama — fulfilling a campaign promise — put a stop to that
controversial program, leaving the long-term storage of nuclear
waste in limbo. (March 22, 2011)
Environment : NPR
[more on Energy in our area]

Officials: Slim chance of nuclear leak at Ginna - Greece, NY -
Greece Post Webster, N.Y. — With the unfolding nuclear disaster
in Japan, northeastern Monroe County residents are reminded of the
nuclear energy in their own backyard. The Ginna Nuclear Power Plant
is just miles from the county border, putting Webster and Penfield
residents within a 10-mile emergency zone if tragedy were to strike
the plant. Although scientists have found a fault line running
beneath Lake Ontario, plant officials say the Ontario plant is not
in danger of being damaged by the magnitude of quakes that shook
Japan last week. On Wednesday, a 4.7-magnitude quake struck about
300 miles away in Canada — near the same spot that a quake rumbled
last June, shaking Rochester. Scientists have also found a fault
line running through Lake Ontario. (March 18, 2011)
Homepage - Greece, NY - Greece
Post [more on Energy in our area]

Dresden coal-fired plant shutting down this weekend
- Finger Lakes Times: Local DRESDEN — AES Greenidge will shut
down its coal-fired plant atthe end of the weekend and put it into
protective lay-up status forup to two years. Six months ago, the
company asked the state Public Service Commission to put the plant
into a long-term protective lay-up. Atthe time, plant manager Doug
Roll cited a combination of increased costs for coal and rail
transportation, high state taxes, fees, decreased electricity demand
and a decline in natural gasprices. (March 18, 2011)
Finger Lakes Times: Finger Lakes
Times [more on Energy in our area]

WXXI: Cuomo: Indian Point "A Matter of Concern" (2011-03-16)
Governor Andrew Cuomo says he's concerned over a report that one of
the nuclear reactors at the Indian Point power plant along the
Hudson River is on an earthquake fault line, and is looking into the
matter. Cuomo says it was a "surprise" to him that a study, first
reported on MSNBC, finds Indian Point may be the nuclear plant most
susceptible to possible damage from a massive earthquake in the
nation. One of the reactors is built very near an earthquake fault
line. "One normally doesn't think of earthquakes and New York in the
same breath," said Cuomo. "So that is a matter of concern".
(March 16, 2011)
WXXI
NewsRoom [more on Energy in
our area]

Cuomo: NY will review safety at nuclear plant
ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered a safety review of a
nuclear plant that lies near a seismic fault line 35 miles north of
Manhattan. Cuomo said Wednesday that the review will cover the
Indian Point Energy Center on the Hudson River in suburban
Westchester County. The plant is near the Ramapo Fault in New York,
where substantial earthquakes are infrequent. (March 17, 2011)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

Federal legislation aimed at protecting drinking water from gas
drilling WASHINGTON DC – Members of both chambers of
Congress introduced legislation they say is aimed at protecting
drinking water from gas drilling pollution. Rep Maurice Hinchey
(D-NY) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are among the cosponsors in
their respective chambers. At issue is a controversial gas drilling
technique -- known as hydraulic fracturing – in which drillers blast
millions of gallons of chemically-treated water into the earth to
extract the gas from underground deposits. (March 16, 2011)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

Japan Woes May Impede U.S. Nuclear Push -
NYTimes.com WASHINGTON — The fragile bipartisan consensus that
nuclear power offers a big piece of the answer to America’s energy
and
global warming challenges may have evaporated as quickly as
confidence in
Japan’s crippled nuclear reactors. Until this weekend,
President Obama, mainstream environmental groups and large
numbers of Republicans and Democrats in Congress agreed that nuclear
power offered a steady energy source and part of the solution to
climate change, even as they disagreed on virtually every other
aspect of energy policy. Mr. Obama is seeking tens of billions of
dollars in government insurance for new nuclear construction, and
the nuclear industry in the United States, all but paralyzed for
decades after the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, was poised for
a comeback. (March 13, 2011)
The New York Times - Breaking
News, World News & Multimedia [more on
Energy in our area]

Riverkeeper wants nuclear plant shut down following Japan crisis
WHITE PLAINS – Hudson Riverkeeper Paul Gallay told a special session
of the Westchester County Legislature’s Environment and Energy
Committee that the Indian Point nuclear power plant should be shut
down until it can be scientifically proven that it could withstand a
7.0 magnitude earthquake. The session was called in response to the
earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear power plant explosions in
Japan. Gallay said more study must be done immediately into the
“what if’s” at Indian Point. (March 15, 2011)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

Can U.S. Nuclear Plants Handle a Major Natural Disaster?
- ProPublica As engineers in Japan
struggle to bring quake-damaged reactors under control [1],
attention is turning to U.S. nuclear plants and their ability to
withstand natural disasters. Rep. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts
Democrat who has spent years pushing the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission toward stricter enforcement of its safety rules, has
called for a reassessment. Several U.S. reactors lie on or near
fault lines, and Markey wants to beef up standards for new and
existing plants. "This disaster serves to highlight both the
fragility of nuclear power plants and the potential consequences
associated with a radiological release caused by earthquake related
damage," Markey wrote NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko in a
March 11 letter [2]. (March 13, 2011) [more on
Energy in our area]

German nuclear dispute sharpened by Japan mishap -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow MPNnow.com — BERLIN (AP) — Thousands of
people demonstrated on Saturday against plans to extend the life of
Germany’s nuclear power stations, as an explosion at a Japanese
nuclear power plant sharpened a long-running dispute over the
technology’s future in this country. Chancellor Angela Merkel said
that Germany would examine whether it needs to draw lessons from
Japan for its own plants and that officials would be asked to check
safety at German nuclear power stations. However, she stressed that
the country’s standards are high. (March 12, 2011)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

RIT researchers creating green fuel from algae - Henrietta, NY -
Henrietta Post Henrietta, N.Y. — Imagine using algae and
wastewater to fuel your car. Now imagine that the process of
creating fuel cleans the water so significantly that it is fit to
send back into Lake Ontario. That is just what researchers at
Rochester Institute of Technology envisioned, and their research may
someday make it a reality. The idea came two years ago when Eric
Lannan, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at RIT, was
thinking about a topic for his master’s thesis. (March 11, 2011)
Homepage -
Henrietta, NY - Henrietta Post [more on
Energy in our area]

Radiation in fracking fluid is a new concern Wastewater from
Marcellus Shale drilling may contain unhealthy concentrations of
radioactivity, and federal officials, researchers, the industry and
the former head of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental
Protection have called for testing of drinking water sources and
full disclosure of results. The New York Times reported in a story
Saturday that 116 of 179 Marcellus wells in Pennsylvania had high
levels of radiation in wastewater samples and that wastewater
discharges into rivers and streams were untested for radiation even
though government agencies and the industry knew of the risks. The
radiation is picked up by water used to hydraulically fracture the
deep, 380 million-year-old shale layer and release the natural gas
it holds. (March 1, 2011)
Post-Gazette.com [more on Energy in
our area]

U.S. OKs First Deep-Water Well In Gulf Since Spill
: NPR The federal government has approved the first new drilling
permit for a deep-water oil well in the Gulf of Mexico since the
BP oil spill last April. The new permit, issued Monday, gives
Noble Energy the go-ahead to finish drilling a new well about 70
miles southeast of Venice, La. The government stopped deep-well
drilling after the BP oil blowout in April 2010, though 37
shallow-water wells have gone ahead since then. The Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, Regulation and Environment says it is satisfied
that Noble Energy has better capping technology than BP did. Several
safety mechanisms failed at the BP Macondo well and led to the
largest spill in U.S. history. (February 26, 2011)
NPR : National Public Radio : News &
Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR [more on
Energy in our area]

Regulation Lax as Gas Wells’ Tainted Water Hits Rivers
- NYTimes.com The American landscape is dotted with hundreds of
thousands of new wells and drilling rigs, as the country scrambles
to tap into this century’s gold rush — for natural gas. The gas has
always been there, of course, trapped deep underground in countless
tiny bubbles, like frozen spills of seltzer water between thin
layers of shale rock. But drilling companies have only in recent
years developed techniques to unlock the enormous reserves, thought
to be enough to supply the country with gas for heating buildings,
generating electricity and powering vehicles for up to a hundred
years. (February 26, 2011)
The New York Times - Breaking
News, World News & Multimedia [more on
Energy in our area]

Bills on Marcellus Shale drilling to be heard |
syracuse.com ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A House committee will be
hearing about legislation relating to drilling of the Marcellus
Shale in western Maryland. The House Environmental Matters Committee
will hold hearings on Wednesday. A measure sponsored by Delegate
Wendell Beitzel, R-Garrett, would require regulations to be sent to
a legislative panel by the end of the year relating to natural gas
exploration and production. The Marcellus Shale is a mineral-rich
geological formation that extends from New York to Virginia
(February 23, 2011) Syracuse NY
Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com
[more on Energy in our area]

Indian Point schedules reactor maintenance
BUCHANAN - Control room operators will remove Indian Point’s unit 3
nuclear power plant from service this evening in order to repair a
leak from a pipe that carries nonradioactive river water to the
plant. The river water contained in the pipe is used to cool
components in the turbine building, located on the non-nuclear side
of the plant. The pipe leak is located outdoors between the river
and the building that houses the turbines and generator. (February
23, 2011)New York State
News on the Net! [more on Energy
in our area]

Opponents plan next step to stop Bruce Power shipments - Owen Sound
Sun Times - Ontario, CA Opponents on both sides of the Canada-U.
S. border are continuing efforts to stop the shipment by Bruce Power
of 16 decommissioned radioactive steam generators through the Great
Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Sierra Club Canada was to hold a
conference call today to discuss a possible court appeal of the
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's Feb. 4 decision to grant Bruce
Power a licence to transport the generators, which the company and
CNSC consider low-level nuclear waste, to Sweden, John Bennett, the
club's executive director, said Thursday. The CNSC decision can be
appealed to the Federal Court of Canada within 30 days of being
handed down, according to Aurele Gervais, the spokesman for the
commission. (February 18, 2011)
Owen Sound Sun Times -
Ontario, CA [more on Energy in our
area]

SCHNEIDERMAN URGES U.S. HOUSE ENERGY CHAIR TO KEEP ENVIRONMENTAL
REGS THAT CUT TOXIC AIR POLLUTION IN NEW YORK Schneiderman Leads
Coalition of Five State AGs in Warning that Proposed U.S. House
Resolution Would Weaken Hard-Fought Protections for Health and the
Environment Ravena and two other plants collectively account for 20%
of all mercury emitted annually in New York
[En Español] NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman,
leading a coalition of attorneys general from Connecticut, Delaware,
Maryland, and Massachusetts, called on the U.S. House of
Representatives leadership today to rebuff efforts to remove
critical environmental regulations that protect New York communities
from toxic pollution. In a letter to Rep. Fred Upton, Chairman,
House Energy & Commerce Committee, Schneiderman and his fellow
attorneys general detail their opposition to House Joint Resolution
No. 9, which would undo strict, new limits on the cement industry’s
emissions of mercury and other toxic substances hazardous to human
health and the environment. The resolution was referred to Chairman
Upton’s committee on February 1. (February 14, 2011)
HOME - OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK STATE
ATTORNEY GENERAL [more on Energy
in our area]

SCHNEIDERMAN CHALLENGES FEDS' NEW PLAN TO DUMP NUCLEAR WASTE AT
INDIAN POINT FOR 60 YEARS POST-CLOSURE A.G. Sues Nuclear
Regulatory Commission for Authorizing Nuke Plants to Dump
Radioactive Wastes onsite for 60 Years After Closure, Without
Mandated Review Schneiderman: Whether For or Against Re-Licensing
Indian Point, We Can All Agree that Environmental, Public Health &
Safety Risks Should Be Assessed Before Dumping Waste There After
Plant is Closed
[En Español] BUCHANAN – New York Attorney General Eric T.
Schneiderman today announced that he is suing the federal Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) for approving a regulation that would
allow the use of Indian Point and nuclear power facilities across
the nation as storage sites for radioactive waste for at least 60
years after their closure. The NRC’s approval would allow the
long-term storage of nuclear waste without completing the federally
required review of the public health, safety and environmental
hazards such storage would pose. Attorney General Schneiderman is
leading a coalition of state attorneys general, including
Connecticut and Vermont’s, in calling on the federal government to
conduct necessary impact studies before deciding that nuclear waste
should be stored onsite. (February 15, 2011)
HOME - OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK STATE
ATTORNEY GENERAL [more on Energy
in our area]

WXXI: NY AG Sues Over Nuclear Waste Storage (2011-02-16) WHITE
PLAINS, NY (WXXI) - New York is joining Connecticut and Vermont in
filing suit against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for it's
decision to allow the use of nuclear power facilities as storage
sites for nuclear waste. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman
announced the suit, and was highly critical of the NRC's new "final
rule." Schneiderman says he filed a petition demanding the NRC
conduct a full environmental impact study before it issues a final
rule on this issue. (February 16, 2011)
WXXI
NewsRoom [more on Energy in our
area]

EPA Wants to Look at Full Lifecycle of Fracking in New Study
- ProPublica The EPA has proposed examining every
aspect of hydraulic fracturing, from water withdrawals to waste
disposal, according to a draft plan the agency released Tuesday. If
the study goes forward as planned, it would be the most
comprehensive investigation of whether the drilling technique risks
polluting drinking water near oil and gas wells across the nation.
The agency wants to look at the potential impacts on drinking water
of each stage involved in hydraulic fracturing, where drillers mix
water with chemicals and sand and inject the fluid into wells to
release oil or natural gas. In addition to examining the actual
injection, the study would look at withdrawals, the mixing of the
chemicals, and wastewater management and disposal. The agency, under
a mandate from Congress, will only look at the impact of these
practices on drinking water. (February 9, 2011)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Nuclear-waste transport plan facing a fight
Groups vow to continue opposition | Environmentalists and a
coalition representing Great Lakes cities including Windsor say they
will continue to fight a proposed shipment of radioactive waste
despite regulatory approval in Canada. On Friday, the Canadian
Nuclear Safety Commission granted a one-year licence to Bruce Power
to ship 16 decommissioned steam generators through the lakes en
route to a recycling plant in Sweden. (February 8, 2011)
The Windsor Star
[more on Energy in our area]

Gas Prices Going Up Gas prices are getting more
expensive in this month of February, and the prices could keep going
up. The Energy Department is reporting that the national average for
a gallon of unleaded regular is now $3.13. That's the highest price
ever posted during the month of February and that dates back more
than 20 years. (February 8, 2011)
ROCHESTER'S NEWS LEADER
NEWSRADIO 1180 WHAM [more on
Energy in our area]

WXXI: Nuclear Waste Shipment on Great Lakes Approved
(2011-02-08) ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - A coalition of Great Lakes
mayors is opposing an extraordinarily large shipment of nuclear
waste across several of the lakes, including Lake Ontario. The
shipment just won approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety
Commission. Canadian company Bruce Power plans to ship16 school-bus
sized, radioactive generators for recycling in Sweden this spring.
David Ullrich is the Director of the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence
Cities Initiative. He says the organization of mayors is worried the
ship could sink and contaminate the lakes and the St. Lawrence
River. (February 7, 2011)
WXXI
NewsRoom [more on Energy in
our area]

Shale gas exploration on hold New rules sought
for industry. 'Clear, concise and non-contradictory' regulatory
framework called essential | Strident public opposition to shale gas
development in Quebec, along with warnings by environment minister
Pierre Arcand, have effectively shut down exploration and shifted
the onus to a regulatory report late this month. But whatever the
report may say, the industry won't go back to drilling again until
the province draws up a clear and effective regulatory framework for
shale gas operators that is separate from the mining law, Michael
Binnion, CEO of Calgary's Questerre Energy Inc., said yesterday.
(February 3, 2011)
The Gazette
(more on Energy in our area)

New Jersey lawsuit seeks to stop hydrofracking, or natural gas
drilling TRENTON, N.J. — Two environmental groups have
filed a lawsuit seeking to stop exploratory drilling of natural gas
wells in the Delaware River basin. The Delaware Riverkeeper Network
and Damascus Citizens for Sustainability filed the suit Tuesday in
U.S. District Court in Trenton. The Delaware River Basin Commission
is in the process of adopting regulations for the natural gas
drilling industry. Energy companies have leased thousands of acres
of land in the Delaware River basin hoping to tap vast stores of
natural gas in a rock formation known as the Marcellus Shale.
(February 1, 2011) Syracuse NY
Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com [more
on Energy in our area]

$250
million in funding for renewable energy projects ALBANY
- The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
(NYSERDA) and the Public Service Commission has announced that
approximately $250 million is available to fund a broad range of
renewable energy generation projects that will reduce harmful
greenhouse gas emissions and help build a clean-energy economy in
New York State. Supported by the state’s Renewable Portfolio
Standard (RPS), the funds will be awarded competitively through a
solicitation released today for electric generation projects using
wind, hydroelectric, biomass or other clean-energy resources. Awards
under this solicitation are expected to be announced in April.
(January 25, 2011) New
York State News on the Net! [more on
Energy in our area]

Nuclear shipment decision delayed - The Sarnia
Observer - Ontario, CA The decision whether to approve a
controversial plan to ship low-level radioactive waste across the
Great Lakes has been delayed. Aurele Gervais, spokesperson for the
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), said the commissioners
have gone beyond the normal 30 business day deadline for a response.
"I don't know what (they) are discussing. I only know that the
commission members are still in deliberations." Bruce Nuclear wants
to ship 16 contaminated steam generators to Sweden for recycling.
But a long line of opponents, including politicians, First Nations
leaders and environmentalists, spoke out at November hearings held
to examine the company's plan. (January 22, 2011)
The Sarnia Observer - Ontario,
CA [more on Energy in our area]

Cornell Chronicle: Cornell helps start geothermal academy
In step with the world's pressing need to explore alternative energy
sources, Cornell is taking a leading role in the country's first
National Geothermal Academy, expected to launch this summer. Funded
with a $1.2 million Department of Energy grant, the multi-university
academy will offer an eight-week, intensive summer training program
for undergraduate, master's and Ph.D.-level students in all aspects
of geothermal energy. (January 12, 2011)
Cornell
Center for a Sustainable Future - News [more on
Energy in our area]

NCPR News - Massena proposes going nuclear Massena town
supervisor Joe Gray’s been busy lately. He’s been fielding calls
from people reacting to his proposal last week to bring a nuclear
power plant to the shores of the St. Lawrence River. Nuclear power
has evoked deep divisions in communities across the country. A
reactor would bring hundreds of good-paying jobs and a big boost to
the tax rolls. But it also raises concerns about radioactive waste
and impacts on the health of local residents and the St. Lawrence
River. (January 18, 2011)
North Country Radio
[more on Energy in our area]

Salt caverns wanted for gas storage | WATKINS
GLEN – A company wants to store liquefied petroleum gas in huge
underground salt caverns near Seneca Lake. Finger Lakes LPG Storage,
a subsidiary of Inergy Liquid Propane of Kansas City, Mo., is
seeking state Department of Environmental Conservation approval to
store up to 2.1 million barrels, or 88.2 million gallons, of LPG in
the caverns on a seasonal basis. (January 17, 2011)
Finger Lakes Times Online - Front
[more on Energy in our area]

Quebec should 'go slow' on shale gas: experts MONTREAL - Quebec
should hold off on shale gas drilling until serious environmental,
economic and legal questions about the industry can be answered, a
panel of U.S. and Quebec experts told a packed public meeting in
Mont St. Hilaire Saturday. “The government of Quebec should look to
Pennsylvania, and monitor how it is dealing with its problems with
shale gas,” said Robert Howarth, a professor of ecology and
environmental biology at Cornell University who has studied the
environmental impacts of the shale gas industry in the U.S. (January
15, 2011) The
Gazette [more on Energy in our area]

Free residential energy audits available to area homesMost New Yorkers qualify for a free or reduced cost residential
energy audit through Green Jobs - Green New York. The New York State
Energy Research and Development Authority (NYERDA) is funding these
audits on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds are
committed. In Chautauqua County, a family making up to $102,800 is
eligible for a free audit, while families making up to $205,600 are
eligible for a reduction in cost of the audit. For Cattaraugus
County, free audits are available for families making up to
$102,200. Reduced cost audits are available to families making up to
$204,400. Family size is not taken into account in determining
eligibility. (December 30, 2010)
http://www.observertoday.com/
[more on Energy in our area]

12/28/2010: EPA Improves Guidance for Compact Fluorescent Light
Bulbs Cleanup WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) today updated its guidance on how to properly clean up
a broken compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). Included with the guidance
is a new consumer brochure with CFL recycling and cleanup tips. EPA
encourages Americans to use CFLs for residential lighting to save
energy and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global
climate change. CFLs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within
the glass tubing. When a CFL breaks, some of the mercury is released
as vapor and may pose potential health risks. The guidance and
brochure will provide simple, user friendly directions to help
prevent and reduce exposure to people from mercury pollution. More
information on the clean up guidance:
http://www.epa.gov/cflcleanup
More information on CFLs:
www.epa.gov/cfl (December 28, 2010) [more on
Energy in our area]

Lake Erie Power Plant Targeted in Fish Kill Case
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Conservationists want a Lake Erie power plant near
Toledo to change its ways, and now they're taking the battle to
court. Environmental groups have filed a legal challenge against
recently-issued U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permits
that they say allow First Energy's Bay Shore Power plant to continue
using methods that put a strain on the ecosystem, instead of
updating their equipment. (December 22, 2010)
Public News
Service [more on Energy in our area]

Governor Paterson Approves Hydropower Contract Extensions with More
Than 100 Western New York Companies Governor David A. Paterson
today announced that he has approved long-term contract extensions
for the continued supply of low-cost hydropower to more than 100 of
Western New York's leading companies. In celebration of the
achievement, representatives of the New York Power Authority (NYPA)
and Power for Economic Prosperity (PEP) were joined by State
officials and business leaders at Praxair, Inc. in Tonawanda. The
Governor's actions will help protect nearly 30,000 jobs and a
combined annual payroll of over $2 billion and ensure annual capital
investments of tens of millions of dollars. "The long-term contract
extensions I have approved today will serve as a cornerstone for
Western New York manufacturers to manage production costs and
operate competitively," Governor Paterson said. "Niagara
hydropower-some of the lowest cost power in the country-is a
tremendous asset for protecting and creating jobs and bringing about
the expansion of crucial New York industries. The contractual
arrangements that the New York Power Authority has reached for this
power for years to come is in keeping with my Administration's
emphasis on using all the tools at our disposal to encourage and
support the success of our State's businesses. This initiative is
especially imperative in today's challenging economic climate, and
the hydropower contract extensions are a key element of our efforts
in this part of the State." (December 21, 2010)
http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/index.html
[more on Energy in our area]

Executive Order Suspending Fracking Brings Little Change
- ProPublica When New York Gov. David Paterson recently
vetoed a bill that would have placed a temporary moratorium on new
permits for hydraulic fracturing, he issued an executive order that
instead suspended the approval of certain types of these permits
until after July 1, 2011. "I am proud to issue this Executive
Order," Paterson said in a
statement [1], "which will guarantee that before any
high-volume, horizontal hydraulic fracturing is permitted, the
Department of Environmental Conservation will complete its studies
and certify that such operations are safe." (December 17,
2010) ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Governor Paterson Issues Executive Order on Hydraulic
Fracturing | Governor David A. Paterson has issued an Executive
Order directing the Department of Environmental Conservation
(DEC) to conduct further comprehensive review and analysis of
high-volume hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale. The
Executive Order requires that, if approved, high-volume, horizontal
hydraulic fracturing would not be permitted until July 1, 2011, at
the earliest. This should allay any fears that high-volume hydraulic
fracturing and horizontal drilling under study by DEC will commence
without assurances of safety. "We in government must always focus
on protecting the well-being of those whom we represent and serve,
but we also have an obligation to look to the future and protect the
long-term interests for our State and its residents," Governor
Paterson said. "Therefore, I am proud to issue this Executive Order,
which will guarantee that before any high-volume, horizontal
hydraulic fracturing is permitted, the Department of Environmental
Conversation will complete its studies and certify that such
operations are safe." (December 11, 2010)
http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/index.html
[more on Energy in our area]

Industry, enviros praise NY gas-drilling time-out - Canandaigua, NY
- MPNnow ALBANY, N.Y. — Environmental groups and energy
companies both claimed victory after Gov. David Paterson ordered a
seven-month moratorium on some natural gas drilling in the state,
although environmentalists would have preferred the broader ban that
the Legislature had approved. The outgoing Democratic governor
vetoed a bill on Saturday that would have suspended all new
natural-gas drilling permits until May 15. Instead, he issued an
executive order prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing of
horizontally drilled wells, such as those in the Marcellus Shale
region of southern New York. The order stands until July 1.
(December 13, 2010) Home -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Energy
in our area]

New York Governor Vetoes Fracking Bill - NYTimes.com Gov. David
A. Paterson of New York on Saturday vetoed legislation intended to
curtail natural gas development using the technique called hydraulic
fracturing until a closer review of its effects can be undertaken.
Instead, the governor issued an executive order instituting a
moratorium that extends until July 1, 2011 — beyond the date
specified in the legislation — and that more narrowly defines the
types of drilling to be restricted. (December 11, 2010)
The New York Times - Breaking
News, World News & Multimedia [more on
Energy in our area]

NYSERDA announces cash incentives for building and
certification of new green homes ALBANY - With consumer
interest in environmentally sustainable homes remaining strong
despite the economic downturn, the New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is formally announcing a program
to spur the building and certification of more green homes across
the state. The Green Residential Building Program offers incentives
to owners of certain new or substantially renovated residential or
residential mixed-use buildings that incorporate practices and
technologies that lower energy costs, reduce waste and water use,
and improve indoor air quality. Incentives will be paid to owners
who demonstrate that their building will use at least 30 percent
less energy than conventionally built homes and has utilized the
following green principles: (December 9, 2010)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

Wayne County on verge of gas boom, but not just yet -
News - The Times-Tribune While natural gas drilling is well
under way throughout the state, including prolific production in
Susquehanna County, a large swath of Northeast Pennsylvania still
remains mostly off-limits because of an obscure federal regulatory
agency charged with protecting the Delaware River Watershed. And
Wayne County appears to be ground zero of a battle among
environmentalists and local landowners who are eagerly awaiting
draft natural gas regulations expected to be released this month by
the Delaware River Basin Commission. "We're on the front lines,"
said Pat Carullo, who heads the Wayne/Pike-based environmental group
Damascus Citizens for Sustainability. "We are the Gettysburg."
(December 5, 2010) Scranton
news, sports, obituaries, and shopping | thetimes-tribune.com | The
Times-Tribune [more on Energy
in our area]

NRC
gives environmental green light to Indian Point license renewal
BUCHANAN – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Friday issued its final
supplemental environmental impact statement for the proposed renewal
of the operating license for Indian Point nuclear power plant Units
2 and three in Buchanan. The report concludes there are no
environmental impacts that would preclude license renewal for an
additional 20 years of operation. New York Affordable Reliable
Electricity Alliance Chairman Arthur “Jerry” Kremer said the finding
is good news. “It’s further proof that the claims by the opponents
that the plant is an environmental hazard have always been false and
outrageous,” he said. (December 4, 2010)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our
area]

Latest
Carbon Auction Yields Nearly $17 Million for Clean Energy Programs
in NY - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation EmPower
New York Helps Saratoga Household Halve Electric Costs The Northeast
and Mid-Atlantic states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas
Initiative (RGGI) today released the results of their 10th auction
of carbon dioxide (CO2) allowances, held Wednesday, Dec. 1. As with
previous auctions, states are reinvesting the proceeds in a variety
of strategic energy programs to save consumers money, benefit the
environment and build the clean-energy economies of the RGGI states.
The offering of current control period CO2 allowances (2009-11) in
the auction yielded a total of $46 million from the sale of 24.8
million allowances. Approximately 57 percent of allowances offered
were sold at a price of $1.86 per allowance. States also offered a
smaller number of allowances for a future control period
(2012-2014). This offer produced $2.2 million from the sale of 1.8
million allowances. Approximately 53 percent of these allowances
were sold at a price of $1.86 per allowance. New York's share of the
total proceeds from the December auction is approximately $16.9
million. (December 3, 2010)
Press Releases -
NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation [more on
Energy in our area]

Oil Spill at Indian Point Contaminates Hudson River
| Riverkeeper When alarming news broke in early November that an
electrical transformer had exploded at Indian Point, a key piece of
the story was missing: this major failure resulted in thousands of
gallons of oil releasing to the environment and the Hudson River.
Though it was not disclosed to the public, Entergy Corporation, the
owner of Indian Point, called in a report several hours after the
transformer fire to the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (“DEC”) notifying the state that oil from the
transformer had been released as a result of the event. By the next
day, involved officials had ascertained that the “entire contents”
of the 20,000 gallon capacity transformer had “been lost,” with the
oil having been released into the site’s storm drain system and
discharge canal, and to the Hudson River. According to DEC’s spill
reports, oil sheens were repeatedly observed in the Hudson River in
the days following the transformer explosion, and the Coast Guard
was called in for support. (December 2, 2010)
Riverkeeper - NY's Clean Water
Advocate [more on Energy in our
area]

New
York adopts fracking moratorium ALBANY – State legislature in
neighboring New York approves temporary moratorium, sends it to
governor The New York State Assembly Monday night approved a
resolution calling for a moratorium on hydrofracking in New York.
The Senate had already approved the measure. The bill, if signed
into law by the governor, would place a hold on hydrofracking for
natural gas or oil until May 15, 2011. (November 30, 2010)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our
area]

11/29/2010: EPA Finalizes 2011 Renewable Fuel Standards
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
finalized the 2011 percentage standards for the four categories of
fuel under the agency’s renewable fuel standard program, known as
RFS2. The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) amended the
Clean Air Act to greatly increase the total required volume of
renewable fuels each year, reaching a level of 36 billion gallons in
2022. To achieve these volumes, EPA calculates percentage-based
standards for the following year. Based on the standards, each
producer and importer of gasoline and diesel determines the minimum
volume of renewable fuel that it must ensure is used in its
transportation fuel. The final 2011 overall volume and standards
are: Cellulosic biofuel - 6.6 million gallons; 0.003 percent
Biomass-based diesel - 800 million gallons; 0.69 percent Advanced
biofuel - 1.35 billion gallons; 0.78 percent Renewable fuel - 13.95
billion gallons; 8.01 percent (November 29, 2010)
U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on
Energy in our area]

Nuclear
power in Ontario: a controversial history Ontario's long-term
energy plan, released Tuesday, calls for a re-investment by the
government and the private sector to build two new nuclear reactors
at Darlington and refurbish 10 older units. It confirms Ontario's
intentions to keep getting half of the province's electricity from
nuclear and to phase out coal-fired generation by 2014 at the
latest, with two coal burning units at Nanticoke set to close next
year. In 2009, nuclear power generated 55.2% of Ontario’s power. But
the history of nuclear power in this province has not been without
ballooning costs and political interference. (November 23, 2010)
Global Toronto [more on
Energy in our area]

Federal probe: Workers felt pressed to ignore safety issues
at Knolls nuclear site - Times Union NISKAYUNA -- A
federal investigation into radiation released during demolition of a
research building at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory found
workers felt pressed by bosses to ignore safety issues and get work
done faster. A draft report, filed by investigators for the
Department of Energy and obtained by the Times Union, also concluded
that Washington Group International, a private company performing
work under a $69 million contract, made missteps that led to an
"uncontrolled spread of radioactive contamination" during the Sept.
29 demolition of a tainted Cold War-era research building at the
research complex. (November 24, 2010)
Home - Times Union [more on
Energy in our area]

Environmental group calls for national moratorium on natural
gas drilling YOUNGSVILLE – The Catskill Mountainkeeper
organization is calling on President Obama’s administration not to
approve any more natural gas drilling permits until the EPA’s study
of the impacts of hydrofracking has been completed. Mountainkeeper
said that while the United States, especially the Marcellus Shale,
have reserves of natural gas and there is interest in developing
them, they are “enormously concerned about the idea of fast tracking
natural gas exploration and the risks such actions will bring.”
(November 19, 2010) New
York State News on the Net! [more on
Energy in our area]

WXXI: State Funding to Bring Green Roof to Rochester
(2010-11-17) ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - Late last week,
Governor David Paterson announced more than $60 million for water
quality improvements around the state. Slightly over $2 million is
coming to the City of Rochester for green infrastructure
improvements. Some of that money is going towards building a brand
new green roof. It would be the first green roof on a city building
in Rochester. (November 17, 2010)
WXXI
NewsRoom [more on Energy in
our area]

Indian
Point operators trained as fire brigade BUCHANAN — The
Sunday evening blast set off a blur of activity at the Indian Point
nuclear power plants. At 6:39 p.m. the transformer explosion outside
Indian Point 2 sent an automatic signal that immediately isolated
the damaged unit electronically, shut down the reactor and triggered
a sprinkler "deluge" system that doused the transformer. The shift
manager told a staffer to call 911, but quickly initiated the
plant's own internal emergency response plan. (November 14, 2010)
LoHudson.com [more on
Energy in our area]

RG&E, NYSEG looking for energy conservation projects to fund
Sister utility companies New York State Electric and Gas and
Rochester Gas & Electric are looking for large-scale energy-saving
proposals to fund. The proposals must be from nonresidential
customers or third-party aggregators working with those customers
and be expected to save at least 100,000 kilowatt-hours of
electricity by October 2012. Proposals that save the most energy at
the least cost will receive funding under the utility companies'
block bidding program. (November 14, 2010)
The Ithaca Journal
[more on Energy in our area]

Governor Paterson Anticipates Continued Growth for Clean
Energy Industry in New York State Governor David A.
Paterson today announced, following the conclusion of "Advanced
Energy 2010," a statewide conference produced by the Advanced Energy
Research and Technology Center (AERTC) at Stony Brook University,
that New York's unique qualities will ensure that the State's clean
energy economy continues its significant growth. This builds on the
Governor's recently released New York State Climate Action Plan,
which will help guide the State on its ambitious economic and
environmental goals. "The vast array of companies and cutting-edge
research showcased at the Advanced Energy Conference clearly
demonstrated that New York has the ingredients to help clean energy
companies develop and thrive," Governor Paterson said. "The
combination of talent, technological innovation and supportive
policies in New York has created a vibrant clean energy industry
that is leading the nation in meeting the energy challenges of our
future." (November 11, 2010)
http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/index.html
[more on Energy in our area]

Pennsylvania to Become 'Gasland'?
Pennsylvanians set to take on gov't, industry, and Karl Rove over
one of world's largest gas deposits | On the day after the midterm
elections, the outline of Pennsylvania's next battleground was
clearly drawn. Pittsburgh hosted the largest conference of companies
interested in the massive Marcellus Shale gas deposit, thought to
hold enough gas to power the entire U.S. for anywhere from two to
thirty years. Drilling communities around the country report serious
environmental and public health concerns --The
Real News Network [more on Energy in
our area]

Vermont Nuclear Reactor Shuts Down Due To Leak |
AHN Vernon, VT, United States (AHN) - The Garden State's only
nuclear power plant was forced to shut down Sunday night because of
a radioactive leak. A 24-inch pipe in Vermont Yankee's feedwater
system is leaking radioactive water at about 60 drops per minute. A
spokesman for the reactor, which is owned by Entergy Corp., is
quoted in local reports as saying the leak is within a building and
does not pose a public health risk (November 8, 2010)
AHN | All Headline
News | Breaking News and Headlines [more on
Energy in our area]

Alert declared, then lifted, at Indian Point
BUCHANAN – Entergy officials declared an alert at the Indian Point 2
nuclear power plant Sunday evening following an explosion of one of
its two main electrical transformers. The alert was lifted 3½ hours
later. Those devices are located outdoors in a non-nuclear area of
the plant and help transfer electricity that is generated at the
power plant to the main electrical grid. (November 8, 2010)
Hudson Valley News, as it
happens! [more on Energy in our
area]

Problems Shut Down Pair Of Nuclear Plants -
RochesterHomePage.net Problems forced two of the nation's
nuclear power plants to shutdown Sunday. The Indian Point nuclear
power plant in Buchannan, New York is closed following a transformer
explosion Sunday evening. Indian Point spokesperson Jerry Nappie
says nobody is hurt and there was no release of any radioactive
materials. The power plant is located about 24 miles north of New
York City. (November 7, 2010)
RochesterHomePage [more
on Energy in our area]

In-ground wall to filter water at NY nuke site -
State Wire - The Buffalo News WEST VALLEY, N.Y. (AP) -
Contaminated water inching through the ground at a nuclear cleanup
site is about to hit a wall. And if all goes as planned, it will
seep through it and come out clean on the other side. Crews at the
West Valley Demonstration Project in Cattaraugus County are digging
an 850-foot-long, three-foot-wide trench along the site's northwest
edge and back filling it with crushed volcanic material called
zeolite. The in-ground wall slicing to clay 19 to 30 feet below is
meant to decontaminate groundwater as it moves through it toward
Cattaraugus Creek in the Lake Erie watershed. (October 17,
2010)
Home - buffalonews [more on Energy
in our area]

Natural gas elbows its way to energy industry's center stage
| syracuse.com NEW YORK — By unlocking decades’ worth
of natural-gas deposits deep underground across the United States,
drillers have ensured that natural gas will be cheap and plentiful
for the foreseeable future. It’s a reversal from a few years ago
that is transforming the energy industry. The sudden abundance of
natural gas has been a boon to homeowners who use it for heat, local
economies in gas-rich regions, manufacturers that use it to power
factories and companies that rely on it as a raw material for
plastic, carpet and other everyday products. But it has upended the
ambitious growth plans of companies that produce power from wind,
nuclear energy and coal. Those plans were based on the assumption
that supplies of natural gas would be tight, and prices high.
(October 15, 2010) Syracuse NY
Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com [more
on Energy in our area]

Otisco board to hold hearing on a hydrofracking moratorium
| syracuse.com Otisco, NY -- Otisco town board members
have agreed to hold a hearing on whether to impose a moratorium on
hydrofracking. Town board members decided Monday night to hold a
hearing Nov. 4 on the controversial method of extracting natural gas
from underground rock formations. Town Supervisor Wayne Amato said
the board consensus appears to favor a ban on hydrofracking, but a
moratorium is not a sure thing. “My feeling is we need to have a
discussion that brings together both sides of the issue so that we
have pretty good representation of each,” Amato said. (October 12,
2010) Syracuse NY Local News,
Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com [more on
Energy in our area]

Not everyone agrees shale's a plus Natural gas
exploration has been promoted as an economic boon for the province,
but not everyone agrees | When Natural Resources Minister Nathalie
Normandeau began touting the potential benefits of shale gas
development in Quebec, it seemed the province had finally struck
economic gold. After some initial exploratory work, several
companies concluded in early 2010 that we were sitting on enough of
the natural gas -trapped in a expansive shale formation beneath the
St. Lawrence Lowlands -to supply the province's energy needs for the
next 200 years. (October 12, 2010)
Montreal Gazette
- Breaking News, Quebec, Opinion, Multimedia & More [more on
Energy in our area]

Wood Library series focuses on topic of hydrofracking
- Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Canandaigua, N.Y. — A series of
events at Wood Library this month is aimed at shedding light on a
controversial method of natural gas drilling commonly called
hydrofracking. Hydraulic fracturing involves the high-pressure
injection of millions of gallons of chemical-laced water into a well
to crack rock and release gas. Though not yet permitted in New York
state, the Southern Tier and areas of the Finger Lakes region have
been targeted because the Marcellus Shale extends from the
Appalachian basin into the Finger Lakes region. (October 8, 2010)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

Dresden power plant's future is up in the air
AES Greenridge could be mothballed after review DRESDEN — AES
Greenidge may shut down its coal-fired power plant for an
unspecified period of time unless the market improves, costs are cut
or continued operation is determined necessary for reliability. The
state will first have to complete a review process. On Sept. 17, the
company submitted a document to the state Public Service Commission
asking to put the plant into a long-term protective lay-up. Plant
Manager Doug Roll cited a combination of increased costs for coal
and rail transportation, high state taxes, fees, decreased demand
for electricity and a decline in the price of natural gas.
(October 5, 2010) Finger Lakes
Times Online - Front [more on Energy
in our area]

Governor Paterson Sends President Obama Letter Supporting
Improved Fuel Efficiency Standards Governor David A.
Paterson today was joined by seven other governors, including
Governor John Baldacci of Maine; Governor Martin O'Malley of
Maryland; Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts; Governor Bill
Richardson of New Mexico; Governor Theodore R. Kulongoski of Oregon;
Governor Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania; and Governor Christine
O. Gregoire of Washington in support of improved fuel efficiency and
stronger greenhouse gas pollution standards. Stronger national clean
vehicle standards will grow the clean energy economy here in New
York. There are already 56 companies that are part of the Governor
Paterson’s Battery Energy Storage Technology consortium working
towards high tech batteries for clean cars. (October 1, 2010)http://www.ny.gov/governor
[more on Energy in our area]

Harper amendment helps pass Marcellus Shale tax bill - North
Penn Life - Montgomery News A local lawmaker was
successful Tuesday in breaking the logjam in the House over passage
of a bill to tax natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania, leading to
passage of the bill by the House today, Wednesday. An amendment by
state Rep. Kate Harper, R-61, to Senate Bill 1155, which places a
tax of 39 cents per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas, was approved by
a 154-45 vote Tuesday night. Harper’s amendment puts more of the tax
proceeds toward environmental initiatives than had been proposed in
the bill. (September 30, 2010)
Montgomery News [more
on Energy in our area]

Refusal to stall gas drilling heartens industry NEW
PALTZ — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision not to institute
a moratorium on water withdrawals for natural gas drilling in the
Delaware River Basin has increased the resolve of the industry to
accelerate development of the Marcellus Shale formation, an opponent
says. As first reported Wednesday by The New York Times, the Army
Corps has rejected a request by U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley,
to use the federal government’s vote on the Delaware River Basin
Commission to seek a temporary ban on natural gas production in the
Delaware watershed. (September 24, 2010)
The Daily Freeman: Serving
the Hudson Valley since 1871 (DailyFreeman.com) [more on
Energy in our area]

Wyoming Fracking Rules Would Disclose Drilling Chemicals -
ProPublica New rules going into effect Wednesday will place
Wyoming at the forefront of the national push to disclose chemicals
used in
hydraulic fracturing [1], the drilling technique that’s been
suspected of polluting groundwater in parts of the country with vast
reservoirs of untapped natural gas. If the rules work as promised,
they should provide the most comprehensive accounting yet of exactly
what substances drilling companies are injecting into particular
wells, a level of specificity that goes beyond disclosures in
Pennsylvania and New York, two states where drilling has been
controversial. (September 14, 2010)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Water leak shuts down Indian Point unit 3
BUCHANAN – Entergy removed the Indian Point power plant unit 3 from
service Thursday night after a non-radioactive water leak was
identified in the main electrical generator. There was no release of
radioactivity and no threat to the safety of workers or the public,
Entergy officials said. (September 11, 2010)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

Gas drilling becomes election issue in the 29th -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Canandaigua, N.Y. — Candidates are
lining up behind the issue of gas drilling as the controversial
method called hydrofracking takes center stage this election season
in the Finger Lakes region. Hydraulic fracturing involves
high-pressure injection of millions of gallons of chemical-laced
water into a well to crack rock and release gas. Opponents fear it
could endanger drinking water, but the industry says it has been
done safely for decades. (September 11, 2010)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

Fracking Regulations Vary Widely from State to State
| Circle of Blue | WaterNews A look at how states
across America are facing deep frack dilemmas. | Prompted by
upgrades in drilling technology and immense reserves of natural gas
contained in carbon-rich shales that lies miles deep, a boom in
natural gas development is well underway across the United States
that is also causing states to scramble to review their drilling
regulations and cleanup requirements. At risk is the safety of
groundwater that millions of people use in their homes and
businesses. (August 31, 2010)
Circle of Blue |
WaterNews [more on Energy in our
area]

Motherlode of gas is fractious pursuit - City & Region -
The Buffalo News Drilling technique to access reserves in
Marcellus Shale stirs controversy | COVINGTON, Pa. -- A city of
semis appeared out of nowhere on a hillside here a few weeks ago,
all working in tandem with machinery that reached more than a mile
deep into the earth's surface to lay claim to a piece of
Pennsylvania's economic future. It's a scene appearing again and
again in two of the four corners of the Keystone State, in the
valleys southwest of Pittsburgh as well as these rolling hills in
Tioga County 35 miles south of Corning. Hydraulic fracturing -- the
drilling technique that taps into the vast gas reserves of the
Marcellus Shale -- may be banned for now in gas-rich, cash-poor
upstate New York, but it's remaking the economy and the environment
of the state just to the south. (September 6, 2010)
The Buffalo News - breaking
local news, sports, business, entertainment, weather and multimedia
[more on Energy in our area]

General Motors: Hydrogen Fuel is Safe -
RochesterHomePage.net The hydrogen fueling station where the
explosion occurred is used to fuel a fleet Monroe County vehicles
that run on hydrogen. The county is partnering General Motors to do
research on hydrogen as a fuel source. GM owns the pump, and the
refueling equipment. It insists hydrogen explosions are rare.
(August 31, 2010)
RochesterHomePage [more on Energy
in our area]

NYPA
Receives Award For Promoting Green CommutesWHITE
PLAINS—New York Power Authority (NYPA) President and Chief Executive
Officer Richard M. Kessel today announced that NYPA was the
recipient of a top award for its participation in the “2010 Earth
Day Commuter Challenge,” a year-long contest which aimed to reduce
drive-alone commuting time in the Hudson Valley. NYPA was among
three local employers to take top honors in the category of “New
Enrollments” on Nu-Ride.com, a free on-line ride matching network
that tracks participants’ ridesharing performance. “Along with
producing clean energy, the Power Authority is proud to promote
clean commuting alternatives for our employees,” Kessel said. “The
Power Authority is committed to seeking ways to help our customers
reduce energy use and operate more efficiently and we like to
practice what we preach. Programs like this yield value to our
employees and to the environment and are right up our alley.”
(August 26, 2010) New York
Power Authority [more on Energy in
our area]

Energy monitoring program is launched - Times Union
ALBANY -- New York state has quietly launched a campaign to promote
energy efficiency and is seeking 50 families in the Capital Region
to participate in a program that would measure their electricity
usage in the home. The program, called Jumpstart NY, is being
promoted mostly through websites including Facebook, Twitter,
craigslist and blogging sites in addition to classified advertising.
(August 29, 2010) Home -
Times Union [more on Energy in
our area]

Energy efficiency successes detailed ALBANY -
The State Public Service Commission (Commission) today received a
report from Department of Public Service staff detailing the latest
successes of the Commission's landmark Energy Efficiency Portfolio
Standard (EEPS) proceeding. "Substantial progress continues to be
made in terms of meeting the goals set by the Commission's energy
efficiency efforts," said Commission Chairman Garry Brown. "We are
seeing steady month-over-month gains in the annualized energy
savings as a result of the installation of new electric and gas
efficiency measures. These steady gains we are making move us that
much closer to realizing our overall goal of reducing New York's
electricity consumption by 2015. Additionally, reports indicate that
most of the programs will meet energy savings goals established by
the Commission for 2011, which is encouraging." (August 20, 2010)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

Supervisors approve solar array bid - Canandaigua,
NY - MPNnow Canandaigua, N.Y. — The Ontario County Board of
Supervisors Thursday approved a bid to install a solar panel array
at the county transportation office. All supervisors present voted
in favor of the measure. Rochester Solar Technologies of Victor will
install a solar panel array at the county’s transportation facility.
The project will be paid for entirely with $200,000 in federal
funds, said county DPW head William Wright, along with a potential
grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority. (August 10, 2010) Home -
Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Energy
in our area]

New York Senate Passes Temporary Ban on Hydraulic Fracturing
- ProPublica In a pre-dawn vote Wednesday, New York State's
senate passed a bill that reaches beyond the debate over the
environmental safety of drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale and
would effectively ban almost all gas and oil drilling in the state
until next spring. The bill circumvents an environmental review by
the state's regulatory agency that could be finished this year. The
bill prohibits the underground process of
hydraulic fracturing [1], which breaks up buried rock and
releases gas trapped inside. (August 4, 2010)
ProPublica [more on
Energy in our area]

Va plans $15M energy project Plant addition
will house bio-mass fueled boilers | As part of the project, two
biomass-fueled (wood chips) steam boilers utilizing
computer-controlled gasification technology for high efficiency and
low emissions will be installed in a new addition to the existing
central plant building. The addition also will house a steam-driven
generator, automated conveyors, four days worth of wood chip
storage, emission control equipment and supporting utilities.
Included with the project are site improvements to the Bushwood Lane
site entrance at the medical center, paving, landscaping and
relocation of an existing pole barn. (August 03, 2010)
Finger Lakes Times Online - Front
[more on Energy in our area]

DEC
Reports: Natural Gas Production Declines 11 Percent In 2009
- NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Natural gas production
from New York wells in 2009 continued at a relatively high rate but
has declined from recent record levels, State Environmental
Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. For 2009,
44.85 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas was produced in the
state, representing the sixth-highest total ever. Still, that
represents an 11 percent decline from the 2008 total of 50.32 bcf
and 19 percent below the all-time high of 55.34 bcf, set in 2006.
The 2009 production, which was enough to supply the natural gas
needs of approximately 650,000 homes for a year, was driven by wells
in the Trenton-Black River formation in the Finger Lakes region and
by increases in production from traditional New York formations,
such as the Herkimer sandstone in Madison and Chenango Counties.
(July 28, 2010)
Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation [more
on Energy in our area]

NYS
solar grant interest and processing improves ALBANY - New York
Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) praised the state for
turning around processing of applications in its photovoltaic grant
program, allowing the industry to continue on its growth track.
Reversing a dramatic slowdown in processing state solar grant
applications earlier this year, a record number of applications have
been processed in June by New York Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA) in half the regular turnaround time. (July 27,
2010) New York State News
on the Net! [more on Energy in our
area]

Sen. Charles Schumer
Calls for Restoration of Federal Fuel Cell Funding During visit
to RIT, Schumer promises to fight 20 percent cut in funding for
research | U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer urged Congress to reverse a
proposed 20 percent cut to the U.S. Department of Energy’s hydrogen
fuel cell research program during an event June 21 at Rochester
Institute of Technology. Schumer toured RIT’s fuel-cell labs,
visited its hydrogen fueling station and rode in a fuel-cell
propelled car made start-to-finish in Rochester. (June 22,
2010) RIT - University News
[more on Energy in our area]

Schroeppel residents take on ethanol and livestock operation
- NewsChannel 9 WSYR Town of Schroeppel (WSYR-TV) - Residents of
the Town of Schroeppel may soon receive a postcard in the mail from
a group called Citizens for Family Farms. The postcard is protesting
a project that would potentially bring 72,000 cows to a future
location in Oswego County. Bion Environmental Technologies is
proposing the project, which would create a facility that also
includes an ethanol plant. The idea is to use the waste created at
one part of the facility to power the other part. (June 15,
2010) Home - NewsChannel
9 WSYR [more on Energy in our
area]

Rochester IMC: Demonstrators Call for Fracking Moratorium in
NY Last week, more than 300 people from all across New
York state gathered at six different Department of Conservation
offices to demand a moratorium on permits for “fracking,” or
hydraulic fracturing, until the Environmental Protection Agency
completes a study on its dangers. The event in Region 8, which
includes Monroe County, drew more than 100 people from Horseheads,
Elmira, Hammondsport, Bath, Avoca, Canandaigua, and Rochester. (June
24, 2010)
Rochester IMC: home [more on Energy
in our area]

WXXI: Fuel Cell Forklifts Leading Hydrogen Push
(2010-06-22) ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - In the receiving bay of the
Chili Wegmans a massive pile of wooden pallets is stacking up.
Workers have used what's called a "walkie reach" to move big cubes
of cereal and boxes of ketchup bottles onto towering shelves. This
electric lift truck - like the vast majority of the 1.7 million in
America - is powered by rechargeable lead-acid batteries. They've
been around for over a century. But a number of companies, Wal-Mart
and Wegmans among them, are beginning to switch to a new technology
for their lifts: hydrogen fuel cells. (June 22, 2010)
WXXI
NewsRoom [more on Energy in our
area]

Lake Erie drilling ban opposed WINDSOR, Ont. —
Hundreds of offshore natural gas wells in Lake Erie have a perfect
safety record over a century of operation, say representatives of
the Ontario Petroleum Institute. Industry officials here oppose the
total ban on offshore drilling in the Great Lakes called for
recently by Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow in reaction to the BP
oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Even some environmental groups in
Ontario, like the Sierra Club, aren't supporting the ban that
Stabenow seeks. (June 21, 2010)
Windsor Star - News
[more on Energy in our area]

Seneca looks at hydrofracking WATERLOO — As is
often the case, the most interesting topics are at the committee
level of the Seneca County Board of Supervisors. Tomorrow’s meeting
is no exception. The new Environmental Affairs Committee will
discuss the formation of a special committee or task force to study
the hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracking method used in drilling
for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale region. (June 21, 2010)
Finger Lakes Times Online - Front
[more on Energy in our area]

NY drilling policies may be shaped by industry dollars, says
Common Cause report NEW YORK - Common Cause/New York
released a report entitled Deep Drilling, Deep Pockets, Expenditures
of the Natural Gas Industry in New York to Influence Public Policy,
Part 1 – Lobbying Expenditures, a detailed analysis of the natural
gas industry's lobbying expenditures in New York State over the
2005-2009 five year periods, as well as the first four months of
2010. As New York State determines whether to permit natural gas
exploitation using the controversial hydraulic fracturing technique,
industry has poured millions of dollars into lobbying the Governor
and the New York State Legislature. The analysis, based on lobbying
reports filed with the New York State Commission on Public
Integrity, shows a dramatic jump in the amounts natural gas
companies are spending in lobbying in the last 2 years. (June 21,
2010) New York State News
on the Net! [more on Energy in our
area]

Gulf Oil Spill
Emergency Response Team Includes RIT Graduate Lockheed
Martin environmental engineer on team testing oil dispersants
effects | Emergency response teams from around the country continue
efforts to manage the enormous oil spill from the BP offshore
drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. With the steady flow of oil
issuing from the damaged well, teams are working to cap the massive
leak and assess environmental damage to sea, wildlife and
individuals living in the area. (June 16, 2010)
RIT - University News [more on
Energy in our area]

06/18/2010: EPA Announces a Schedule of Public Meetings on
Hydraulic Fracturing Research Study; August 12 Meeting to be Held in
Binghamton, N.Y. (New York, N.Y.) The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting four public
information meetings on the proposed study of the relationship
between hydraulic fracturing and its potential impacts on drinking
water. Hydraulic fracturing is a process that drills vertical and
horizontal cracks underground that help withdraw gas or oil from
coalbeds, shale and other geological formations. By pumping
fracturing fluids (water and chemical additives) and sands into rock
formations, fractures are created in the formation from which
natural gas or oil can be more easily extracted. The meetings will
provide public information about the proposed study scope and
design. EPA will solicit public comments on the draft study plan.
The public meetings will be held on: August 12 at the
Anderson Performing Arts Center at Binghamton University in
Binghamton, N.Y. for 3 sessions - 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5
p.m., and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT (June 18, 2010)
U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on
Energy in our area]

Upstate residents call for state moratorium on hydrofracking
NEW PALTZ – Concerned citizens of all ages rallied
Tuesday afternoon in front of the regional state Department of
Environmental Conservation Office in New Paltz to urge
representatives in Albany to support legislation calling for a
moratorium on the issuance of all permits allowing hydrofracking in
the state prior to the completion of the federal Environmental
Protection Agency’s research into the hazards and accidents
associated with this natural gas extraction method. In light of the
current disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, Tuesday’s rally in New Paltz
was one of six organized at DEC regional offices across the state,
in areas located above the Marcellus Shale formation, by the Frack
Action Campaign to call attention to the Englebright-Addabbo bill
that is currently before the New York State Legislature in order to
avoid hasty decision making on the issue and serious environmental
repercussions. (June 16, 2010)New
York State News on the Net! [more on
Energy in our area]

FL Institute to meet on drilling, water safety
GENEVA –– The relationship of drinking water contamination and
drilling for natural gas will be discussed from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday
at the Finger Lakes Institute, 601 S. Main St. The public meeting is
sponsored by Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association. The speakers will
be Stephen Penningroth, executive director of the Community Science
Institute in Ithaca, and Thomas Scoles of the Seneca County Health
Department. (June 16, 2010)
Finger Lakes Times Online - Front [more on
Energy in our area]

Tompkins gas drilling concerns voiced at Sierra Club event
NEW YORK - Tompkins County concerns about risks associated with
natural gas drilling in the Marcellus shale were once again
communicated, at a session in New York City last week. Legislature
Chair Martha Robertson was one of 15 invited speakers at the event,
cosponsored by the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and the Natural
Resources Defense Council. Speakers urged immediate passage of
pending state legislation which would ban hydraulic fracturing until
after findings are issued on its effects on water quality and public
health. (June 14, 2010)
New York State News on the Net! [more on
Energy in our area]

Tompkins Legislature urges state hydrofracking ban
ITHACA - The Tompkins County Legislature is calling upon New York
State to ban all hydraulic fracturing operations to extract natural
gas from shale until independent scientific assessments are competed
to determine the risk of hydraulic fracturing, the greenhouse gas
emissions it would produce, and its economic and social costs. The
action supports legislation proposed in the State Senate and
Assembly. After listening to more than an hour of impassioned
public comment from more than 20 residents who urged support of the
ban and another half-hour of discussion, mostly focused on wording
changes, the measure was approved by a 13-1 vote, with Legislator
Peter Stein voting no. (Legislator Carol Chock was excused.) (May
23, 2010) New York State
News on the Net! [more on Energy
in our area]

Marcellus Shale: PRI and Cornell University Receive NSF Grant To Do
Outreach in NY, PA, WV, & OH - WIVT/WBGH Newschannel34 From
Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth:
The Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth
(PRI), along with colleagues in the department of Earth and
Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) at Cornell University and Cornell
Cooperative Extension (CCE), have been awarded nearly $100K from the
National Science Foundation (NSF). The award will provide resources
to promote public understanding of science and the relative risk
associated with natural gas drilling, and to help stakeholders who
might consider leasing their land for drilling make informed
decisions based on existing scientific evidence. (May 17, 2010)
Home - WIVT/WBGH
Newschannel34 [more on Energy
in our area]

RIT Student
Government President Signs Congressional Letter to Support Energy
Education More than 100 student-body presidents send
pleas to local representatives More than 100 university and college
student-government presidents submitted a letter recently urging
Congress to launch a national program for clean-energy science and
engineering education. The presidents—including Matt Danna from
Rochester Institute of Technology—warned Congress that advanced
energy education is critical for U.S. leadership in the global
clean- energy industry. (May 13, 2010)
RIT - University News [more on
Energy in our area]

New York’s first solar thermal roadmap unveiled
ALBANY - The Solar Thermal Consortium (STC) today unveiled the first
roadmap to establish New York as a national leader in solar heat and
cooling (“Solar Thermal”) technologies through consumer education
and incentives, installer training, promotions to attract
manufacturers, investments in R&D, and permitting improvements.
Developed over the past six months by more than 130 industrial,
academic and governmental representatives, the Solar Thermal Roadmap
creates a path to move New York State toward 2,000 MWs of solar
thermal capacity, equal to 1,000,000 solar hot water collectors, or
500,000 residential systems. The plan would result in $2.6 billion
in economic activity and 25,000 new jobs over the next decade. (May
13, 2010) New York State
News on the Net! [more on Energy
in our area]

04/19/2010: EPA Announces New Guidelines for Energy Star
Homes WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is announcing new, more rigorous guidelines for new
homes that earn the Energy Star label. Compared to the current
Energy Star guidelines, the new requirements will make qualified new
homes at least 20 percent more efficient than homes built to the
2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) – slashing
utility bills for qualified homes by 15 percent compared to IECC
code-built homes. (April 19, 2010)
U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on
Energy in our area]

Public officials, energy professionals to explore future of
the grid RENSSELAER - The New York Independent System
Operator (NYISO) has announced the moderators and panelists for its
symposium, Planning the Sustainable Grid of the Future, being held
Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at the Desmond Hotel & Conference Center in
Albany, N.Y. The NYISO’s annual symposium will bring together
policymakers and regulators, energy sector professionals, legal and
financial advisors, economists, energy developers, large energy
users, environmental managers and consultants, news media
representatives and members of business organizations and nonprofit
groups to discuss critical issues in electric energy and grid
reliability. (March 29, 2010)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

03/19/2010: EPA, DOE Announce New Steps to Strengthen Energy
Star WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today outlined
a series of steps to further strengthen the trusted Energy Star
program. This action comes at a critical time for American
consumers, many of whom struggle to keep up with their monthly
energy bills. In addition to third-party testing already underway,
EPA and DOE have launched a new two-step process to expand testing
of Energy Star qualified products. This week, DOE began testing of
some of the most commonly used appliances, which account for more
than 25 percent of a household’s energy bill, and both agencies are
now developing a system to test all products that earn the Energy
Star label. The steps are part of an overall effort by the Obama
Administration to improve the energy efficiency of homes and
appliances to save families money. (March 17, 2010)
U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on
Energy in our area]

03/18/2010: EPA Initiates Hydraulic Fracturing Study: Agency
seeks input from Science Advisory Board WASHINGTON –
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it
will conduct a comprehensive research study to investigate the
potential adverse impact that hydraulic fracturing may have on water
quality and public health. Natural gas plays a key role in our
nation’s clean energy future and the process known as hydraulic
fracturing is one way of accessing that vital resource. There are
concerns that hydraulic fracturing may impact ground water and
surface water quality in ways that threaten human health and the
environment. To address these concerns and strengthen our clean
energy future and in response to language inserted into the fiscal
year 2010 Appropriations Act, EPA is re-allocating $1.9 million for
this comprehensive, peer-reviewed study for FY10 and requesting
funding for FY11 in the president’s budget proposal. (March 18,
2010)
U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on
Energy in our area]

NYSERDA commits $100 million to improve energy efficiency of data
centers and manufacturers ALBANY - Over the next two
years, New York State will provide over $100 million through its
Industrial and Process Efficiency program to help data centers and
manufacturers control their energy costs and improve their
competitiveness, the New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA) announced today. Funding will support energy
studies and capital improvements that will increase energy
efficiency and productivity and reduce waste. While NYSERDA
offers incentives for all business sectors to retrofit existing
buildings or to incorporate energy efficiency measures into new
buildings, the funding announced today is being targeted
specifically for data centers and manufacturers, which are among the
largest consumers of energy and have significant potential for
efficient growth. (March 17, 2010)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

World
Environment News - Obama Aide Urges Listing Of Gas-Drilling
Chemicals - Planet Ark President Barack Obama's top
environmental adviser urged the natural gas industry on Tuesday to
disclose the chemicals it uses in drilling, warning that the
development of massive U.S. shale gas reserves could be held back
otherwise. Joseph Aldy, special assistant to the president for
energy and the environment, said concerns about water contamination
from drilling chemicals could lead to states requiring disclosure
and that could deter additional investment.
Planet Ark {more on
Energy in our area]

Campus Times - Biodiesel wins national award
The efforts of UR students to find a solution to a common
environmental obstacle were rewarded when their project, UR
Biodiesel, received the Excellence in Innovations for Sustainability
Award by the Association of College Unions International (ACUI).
(March 4, 2010) Campus Times
[more on Energy in our area]

$40
million in stimulus funding announced for state energy program
projects ALBANY – A total of $40 million federal
stimulus funding has been awarded to New York municipalities, public
schools, universities and colleges, hospitals and not-for-profit
agencies to support 118 energy conservation projects. The energy
efficiency, renewable energy and clean fleet projects will reduce
energy and operating costs by $13.5 million annually and fully
return the initial investment in just under 7 years. Region
6 – Rochester/Genesee $2,082,595 (March 2, 2010)New
York State News on the Net! [more on
Energy in our area]

Energy company: Well wouldn’t have been threat
| PULTENEY — Chesapeake Energy’s withdrawal of its permit
application to store wastewater from natural gas drilling in a town
of Pulteney well was not due to environmental concerns or vocal
opposition to the project. William M. Fowler, the company’s
environmental and regulatory affairs director, outlined the reasons
for the withdrawal in Feb. 16 letters to the state Department of
Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. (February 21, 2010) Finger
Lakes Times Online - Front [more on
Energy in our area]

Possible mass radiation exposure investigated - The
Globe and Mail The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission says as
many as 217 workers may have been exposed to radioactivity at the
Bruce nuclear power station on the shores of Lake Huron while
refurbishing a reactor in late November. It is believed to be one of
the largest mass exposures to radiation at a Canadian nuclear site.
The station operator, Bruce Power, said a preliminary review of the
radiation exposure indicates no one received an excessive dose. The
company is taking the incident "very seriously," said John Peevers,
a Bruce spokesman, while cautioning that "all indications are that
there is nothing there approaching the regulatory limit" for
radiation. (February 17, 2010)
News from Canada and the
world - The Globe and Mail [more on
Energy in our area]

Cutting-edge clean power technologies now eligible for net
metering ALBANY – The State Public Service Commission
Thursday approved tariff filings of the six investor-owned utilities
in New York to encourage the installation of residential
micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) and fuel cell electric
generating systems that will enable homeowners to sell excess power
to the utility. The utilities participating in this net metering
initiative include Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation,
Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., National Grid, New
York State Electric & Gas Corporation, Orange and Rockland
Utilities, Inc., and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation.
(February 12, 2010) New
York State News on the Net! [more on
Energy in our area]

Hundreds turn out to oppose wastewater facility -
Corning, NY - The Corning Leader The estimated population of
Pulteney is about 1,300. At times Sunday it looked like every one of
them was crowded into the Pulteney Fire Hall to discuss the proposed
plan to deposit contaminated wastewater in a former natural gas
well. More than 300 people came to hear a panel discuss the plan.
Chesapeake Energy approached Pulteney officials last fall about the
plan to dump the wastewater, which is generated from the
hydrofracking process, into a well about a mile west of Keuka Lake.
(February 8, 2010) Homepage -
Corning, NY - The Corning Leader [more on
Energy in our area]

02/03/2010: Obama Announces Steps to Boost Biofuels, Clean
Coal WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama today
announced a series of steps his Administration is taking as part of
its comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence
while building a foundation for a new clean energy economy, and its
promise of new industries and millions of jobs. At a meeting with a
bipartisan group of governors from around the country, the President
laid out three measures that will work in concert to boost biofuels
production and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.
(February 3, 2010)U.S.
EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on
Energy]

Historic” solar energy project announced ALBANY –
Governor David Paterson announced a new clean energy project that
will more than quintuple the amount of solar energy currently
produced in New York State, and will foster the development of solar
technologies, support public sustainability efforts and stimulate
the economy with new clean energy jobs throughout the State.
(February 1, 2010) New
York State News on the Net! [more on
Energy in our area]

02/02/2010: EPA and DOE Join States to Speed Energy
Efficiency Progress in the United States WASHINGTON –
As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to increasing
energy efficiency and reducing costs, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
announced today the creation of the State Energy Efficiency (SEE)
Action Network. This network is meant to help states achieve maximum
cost effective energy efficiency improvements in homes, offices,
buildings and industry by 2020. Strengthening energy efficiency
initiatives across the country helps to save money and protect the
environment at the same time. (February 2, 2010)
U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on
Energy in our area]

President Obama Sets Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction
Target for Federal Operations | The White House Target
to Drive Energy Cost Reductions in Federal Operations, Creating
Clean Energy Jobs WASHINGTON, DC – President Barack Obama today
announced that the Federal Government will reduce its greenhouse gas
(GHG) pollution by 28 percent by 2020. Reducing and reporting GHG
pollution, as called for in Executive Order 13514 on Federal
Sustainability, will ensure that the Federal Government leads by
example in building the clean energy economy. Actions taken under
this Executive Order will spur clean energy investments that create
new private-sector jobs, drive long-term savings, build local market
capacity, and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in clean energy
industries. (January 29, 2010)
The White House
[more on Climate Change in our
area]

Clean-diesel buses added to RGRTA fleet as a result of
stimulus money | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and
Chronicle The Rochester region will be getting clean-diesel
buses, thanks to a $12.2 million grant via the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Rochester-Genesee Regional
Transportation Authority took shipment of 50 buses in late 2009, and
$1.34 million of those stimulus funds will go to the
2009 bill, according to Jacqueline Halldow, spokeswoman for the
RGRTA. The buses, made by Gillig Corp. of California, burn diesel in
a cleaner manner than older models. They arrive as ridership is up.
(February 1, 2010) [more on Energy
in our area]

Pennsylvania’s Gas Wells Booming—But So Are Spills
- ProPublica As more gas wells are drilled in Pennsylvania's
Marcellus Shale, more cases of toxic spills are being reported.
Earlier this month, Pennsylvania's environmental officials fined
Pennsylvania-based Atlas Resources after a series of violations at
13 wells, including spills of fracturing fluids and other
contaminants onto the ground around the sites. And just last week
the agency fined M.R. Dirt, a company that removes waste from
drilling sites, $6,000 for spilling more than seven tons of drilling
dirt along a public road. (January 27, 2010)
ProPublica - Journalism in the
Public Interest [More on Energy in
our area}

Research Team
Helps to Create the Next Generation of Solar Cells
Professor Seth Hubbard earns Early Career Award from National
Science Foundation | Solar cells are currently used in a host
of high-grade applications and power numerous satellites and the
space shuttle. Now, new advancements in nanotechnology are improving
the efficiency of these power generators, which could ultimately
increase their commercial use throughout society. (January 25, 2010)
RIT - University News [more on
Energy in our area]

Tompkins gas drilling concerns featured at Albany session
ALBANY - Speaking on behalf of the Tompkins County Legislature,
Chair Martha Robertson, as part of an Albany event, Monday, urged
that Governor David Paterson withdraw the proposed document that
would regulate natural gas drilling in the Marcellus shale. Last
month, the Legislature, approving its official comments to the State
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) without dissent,
urged that the State reevaluate its review process and permit no
drilling using the hydraulic fracturing technique until an adequate
environmental review is completed. (January 26, 2010)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

Funding provided for renewable technologies ALBANY -
The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today
approved approximately $20.9 million in interim funding for the
Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) program for the period January 1,
2010 through June 30, 2010. The money will fund incentives for solar
photovoltaic (solar PV), anaerobic digester, fuel cell and small
wind installations under the Customer-Sited Tier (CST) of the RPS
program. Funding authorization for eligible new projects under the
CST expired on December 31, 2009. (January 20, 2010)
New York State News on the
Net! [more on Energy in our area]

WXXI: Debate Continues Over Shale Plan (2010-01-12)
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - The massive plan to issue drilling permits in
New York's Marcellus Shale is about the size of a phone book. It's
the Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) attempt to lay
the ground rules for drilling, and to figure out what effect
horizontal drilling techniques will have on the environment. And
just as the document has ballooned, so has the conversation around
drilling. (January 12, 2010)WXXI
| Go Public. [more on Energy
in our area]

Massa, Reed clash on drilling - Canandaigua, NY -
MPNnow MPNnow.com — Amid fears over potential natural gas
drilling in the Finger Lakes region, Rep. Eric Massa, D-Corning,
said Tuesday he supports “burning domestically produced natural gas”
as an alternative to burning foreign oil. But first, he wants the
state Department of Environmental Conservation to “start over again”
on its regulations for such drilling using a controversial method
called hydrofracking, which involves using huge amounts of water and
chemicals to fracture the rock to release gas. (January 7, 2010)
Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
[more on Energy in our area]

Nozzolio calls for hydrofracking impact study
| GENEVA — State Sen. Michael F. Nozzolio, R-54, of Fayette, has
asked the Finger Lakes Institute to study hydraulic fracturing
drilling for natural gas and its possible impact on the Finger
Lakes. Energy companies are anxious to use the drilling process,
called “hydrofracking,” to obtain natural gas from a gas-rich area
called the Marcellus Shale. (January 6, 2010)
Finger Lakes Times Online - Front
[more on Energy in our area]